(Football news) Borussia Dortmund produced a clinical first half to take a two-goal lead in the and hung on for a nervous second half to win 2-1 over RB Leipzig on Friday to go top of the Bundesliga for the time being and stretch their perfect run in 2023 to eighth straight league wins. Dortmund started off the scoring when Marco Reus scored a penalty and then a deflected shot from Emre Can in the first half which put them in the driving seat before Leipzig pulled a goal back through Emil Forsberg in the second half but it was too little too late.

The Ruhr valley club will travel to Chelsea on Tuesday for their Champions League round of 16 second leg as they are leading 1-0. Dortmund were brutally efficient, scoring twice with just three shots on goal in the entire game as they now have 10 wins from their 10 matches in all competitions in 2023 and are now on 49 points subsequently three points clear of second-placed Bayern Munich who are in action against VfB Stuttgart on Saturday while Leipzig’s second defeat in four league games see them drop down fourth place on 42.

The hosts were on the backfoot at the start, and they were lucky not to fall behind after Christopher Nkunku, which was his first start since November, failed to convert two relatively easy early chances. But Dortmund struck against the run of play when Reus was brought down by keeper Janis Blaswich in the box and the German international stepped up to score the penalty and moved into second place on the club’s all-time scorers’ with his 159th goal.

Emre Can added one more when he had his shot from 20 metres took a slight deflection in the 39th. The Ruhr valley club stepped off the gas after the break and handed control to Leipzig once more. Leipzig deserved a goal when Forsberg tapped in at the far post in the 74th but despite a flurry of late chances they could not find an equaliser. Leipzig now take on Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 return leg on March 14 after their 1-1 draw in Germany last week.

“We are very, very happy,” said scorer Reus. “We had to tremble until the end but I prefer to win than to play well and lose. It was our big wish to take over the lead in the Bundesliga and keep putting pressure.”

“It was a real top match tonight,” said Forsberg. “Unfortunately it was not enough for us in the end and that is bitter. But we have to keep our heads up as there are still a lot of great matches in front of us.”

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