An early goal from Kevin Großkreutz and two in the second half from Mohamed Zidan secured the points for the Ruhr district heavyweights. For visiting Gladbach it was a game to forget, as they showed little of the form that has lifted them well clear of the danger zone in recent months.

Early lead for hosts

The match got off to a cagey start, with Dortmund edging it in terms of possession in the opening stages. The home crowd exploded into life in the 13th minute however, when Mohamed Zidan played in a low ball from the left and Kevin Großkreutz got to it ahead of Gladbach defensive organiser Dante to knock home his fourth goal of the campaign.

Having gone in front, BVB sought to stamp their authority on proceedings against a Foals side struggling to find their way into the contest. Zidan tried his luck with a shot from some 25 metres out which flew just over the bar in the 23rd minute, but it was after the half-hour mark that the hosts really started to apply some heavy pressure. On 35 minutes Marcel Schmelzer latched onto a nice pass from Großkreutz and his effort had Gladbach keeper Logan Bailly stretching to tip it round the post.

BVB turn on the style

Bailly was in action again three minutes before the break, safely holding a well-struck long-range shot from Neven Subotic. Soon after that Zidan tested the Foals' Belgian keeper once more, Bailly clearing for a corner after the BVB attacker burst through on the left-hand side of the box.

Dortmund took up in the second half where they had left off in the first against a Gladbach side unwilling or unable to make much headway in a forward direction. After carving out a couple of half-chances that came to nothing, Jürgen Klopp's men went 2-0 up in the 54th minute, and in fine style. Lucas Barrios fed the industrious Zidan, who left Dante and Michael Bradley standing before whipping the ball into the top left-hand corner of the visitors' net from the edge of the area.

Zidan wraps it up

With just over an hour played, the by now overworked Bailly was at full stretch again to push away a Barrios header in what was developing into a seriously one-sided contest. That impression was confirmed with twenty minutes to go when Zidan made it 3-0, firing low into the corner following some first-rate approach work from Barrios.

It was definitively game over from that point on and while Mönchengladbach never gave up the chase, neither did they come close to nabbing even a consolation goal in the latter stages.


Line-ups

Dortmund: Weidenfeller – Owomoyela, Subotic, Santana, Schmelzer – Kehl, Sahin – Blaszczykowski (Dede 75'), Zidan (Hajnal 77'), Großkreutz (Koch 85') – Barrios

Mönchengladbach: Bailly – Levels, Brouwers, Dante, Daems – Reus, Meeuwis, Bradley (Friend 64'), Arango – Colautti (Matmour 63'), Bobadilla

Goals: 1-0 Großkreutz (13'), 2-0 Zidan (54'), 3-0 Zidan (70')

Attendance in the Signal Iduna Park: 79,800