Borussia Dortmund secured a 2-1 Bundesliga victory over Köln to end a three-game winless run

Borussia Dortmund returned to winning ways in the Bundesliga with a 2-1 victory over Köln, securing their fourth consecutive head-to-head win against the struggling hosts. The result provided a much-needed boost for Dortmund after a difficult run of form in recent weeks.

Back to winning ways! 👏 pic.twitter.com/DSgEkefKm8

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) March 7, 2026

Dortmund entered the match on the back of consecutive defeats that ended their Champions League campaign and dented their domestic title hopes. They nearly fell behind early at the RheinEnergieStadion, with Ramy Bensebaini blocking two quick efforts from Isak Johannesson while Gregor Kobel tipped Youssoupha Niang’s header over the crossbar.

Despite the early pressure from the hosts, Dortmund struck first after capitalising on a costly mistake. Johannesson’s loose pass allowed the visitors to break forward, and although Maximilian Beier’s initial effort was deflected behind, Köln failed to deal with the resulting corner as Serhou Guirassy reacted quickly to poke the ball home.

Köln attempted to respond, but their efforts lacked precision as Niang and Saïd El Mala both fired into the side netting. Meanwhile, Dortmund looked increasingly confident, with Beier seeing another attempt blocked as the visitors pressed for a second goal.

The home side’s situation worsened shortly before half-time when Jahmai Simpson-Pusey was sent off. Initially shown a yellow card for a challenge from behind on Beier, the decision was upgraded to a red following a VAR review, leaving Köln with a difficult task for the remainder of the match.

Dortmund eventually doubled their lead just after the hour mark when Beier combined neatly with Julian Brandt before calmly finishing past goalkeeper Marvin Schwabe. The visitors continued to create chances, though Felix Nmecha and Bensebaini both failed to convert promising opportunities.

Köln managed to pull one back late on when Jakub Kaminski’s effort deflected off Waldemar Anton and beat Kobel, creating tense moments for Dortmund. However, the visitors held on to secure their first win in four matches across all competitions. 

The result leaves Dortmund 11 points behind Bayern Munich while Köln remain only two points above the Bundesliga relegation play-off place.