W.Less personnel concerns, more power: the return of many permanent employees Borussia Dortmund helped improve performance. With a well-deserved 3-0 (2-0) win over favorite SC Freiburg on Friday afternoon, football teacher Edin Terzic's team managed to at least partially make amends for its dismal performance of the previous week in Heidenheim (0-0).

Thanks to goals from Donyell Malen (min. 16/45+7) and birthday boy Niclas Füllkrug (87.) in front of 81,365 spectators at the sold-out Signal Iduna Park, BVB consolidated fourth place. table position and thus gained 13 points in the last five league games. After protests from fans, the match was interrupted for a few minutes in both halves.

“I wanted a win for my birthday, maybe even a little cupcake, and that was part of it,” Füllkrug said after the match on DAZN and announced: “Next week I will give out a meal and we will order it in the locker room. “We deserved to win and we could have scored one or two more goals.”

For Freiburg, the long wait continues for their first success in Dortmund since 2001. The current seventh-placed team has not won against BVB for 16 games.

Dortmund Coach Terzic took advantage of the recovery of several professionals to rebuild the team. The starting eleven, which had changed four positions compared to the Heidenheim match, entered the match better. Malen (13th) was already close to taking the lead when SC goalkeeper Noah Atubolu saved a shot from above. Three minutes later the Dutchman did better. After a pass from Füllkrug, he sent the ball with force and precision into the Freiburg goal, top right.

clear balance of power

Despite the initial deficit, the guests were not as passive as in previous years when they visited Dortmund. However, she wasn't really a scoring threat. Only with a header from the attacker Michael Gregoritsch (21.) BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel was called.

Even a ten-minute break in the match did little to change the balance of power. In protest against the entry of investors requested by the German Football League (DFL), BVB fans threw tennis balls and chocolate coins onto the grass from the south stand.

When the match resumed, Dortmund more quickly returned to operating temperature. A remarkable counterattack paved the way for a 2-0 lead. Once again, the goal scorer Füllkrug became famous as a passer when he put the ball in exemplary fashion into Malen's path. The speedy winger scored with a well-placed shot into the far corner to give his team a reassuring lead at the break.

Even after the restart, BVB continued to dominate the match. Two brilliant saves by SC goalkeeper Atubolu after shots by Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (46') and Füllkrug (53') prevented Dortmund from scoring another goal. The goalkeeper was also present after a header from the returning Marco Reus (71'). Luck was on their side when new signing Ian Maatsen hit the outside post two minutes later.

Borussia was able to overcome the fact that Reus missed another chance in the 75th minute and narrowly missed with a shot from twelve meters. The well-deserved victory was no longer in danger in the final phase.