Berlin, Jan 29 (IANS): Niclas Fullkrug's hat-trick propelled Borussia Dortmund to their third consecutive win in the Bundesliga, securing a 3-1 victory over Bochum in the 19th round's finale on Sunday.
Dortmund got off to an ideal start at home when Bochum goalkeeper Manuel Riemann brought down Donyell Malen inside the box. Fullkrug coolly converted the ensuing penalty into the bottom left corner, opening the scoring in the 7th minute, reported Xinhua.
Despite Bochum keeping its defense compact, Riemann was kept busy, thwarting attempts from Ian Maatsen and Marcel Sabitzer.
Bochum unexpectedly equalized when Nico Schlotterbeck inadvertently deflected Patrick Osterhage's pass into his own net towards the end of the first half.
Dortmund nearly regained the lead immediately, but Maximilian Wittek skillfully thwarted Malen's effort on goal.
The visitors began the second half energetically, creating opportunities as Osterhage missed a promising chance, and Christopher Antwi-Adjei forced Dortmund's goalkeeper, Alexander Meyer, into action around the hour mark.
Dortmund reasserted control when Fullkrug headed in Jamie Bynoe-Gittens' inswinging cross, restoring their lead in the 72nd minute.
Bochum's relentless pursuit of an equalizer was ultimately futile, as Cristian Gamboa's foul on Bynoe-Gittens in the penalty area led to another penalty. Fullkrug remained composed from the spot, beating Riemann for the second time to seal the victory.
With this triumph, Dortmund ascend to the top four, while Bochum remain in 14th place.
"We are satisfied with the win. We keep all three points here. It wasn't a faultless performance, but we made a step forward," Dortmund coach Edin Terzic remarked.
"I am proud of the boys. We caught the worst possible start, falling behind 1-0 immediately. We didn't give up and managed to score a lucky goal before the break. We played well but couldn't take any points back," Bochum coach Thomas Letsch reflected.
In another match, Union Berlin narrowly defeated Darmstadt 1-0 in a critical clash at the bottom of the table. Benedict Hollerbach's lone goal secured vital points for the capital club in their relegation battle.