AXEL WITSEL SCORED a late winner Wednesday as Borussia Dortmund ground out a 1-0 victory at Mainz to trim Bayern Munich’s lead at the top of the Bundesliga to four points.
The Belgium midfielder side-footed a Giovanni Reyna free-kick past Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner with three minutes left to claim his first Bundesliga goal for two years.
“It was a hard game, sometimes you can’t play beautiful football and have to win like this,” Witsel told broadcaster DAZN.
“This was about body language and fighting spirit – for the second straight game we didn’t concede a goal,” he added, referring to Saturday’s 1-0 home win against Arminia Bielefeld.
“I am not a goalscorer, but I was very happy to get this one.”
The result saw second-placed Dortmund further reduce Bayern’s lead — which was 10 points on Saturday night — with the Bundesliga’s top two teams still to meet on April 23.
The original fixture was postponed 10 days ago due to an outbreak of Covid in the Mainz squad.
Dortmund struggled to break down the home defence before Witsel struck.
Zentner had repeatedly denied Dortmund’s attack, including star striker Erling Haaland, who came on for the last half-hour.
After Witsel finally broke the deadlock, Dortmund twice came within a whisker of doubling their lead in stoppage time.
Julian Brandt fired just wide with the goal at his mercy before Reyna forced Zentner into a diving save from his free-kick.
Not surprised Frank is giving him high praise because he’s indispensable to that team,so many just go on about him getting slower but that natural. His leadership on and off the pitch is what makes him so important.
@Marcus Suridius: emmmmm…love the guy but at times this season he was woeful,like a lot of the time… any Everton supporter will tell you that. Delighted he turned it around though.
Lampard like some fella getting emotional on the second day of a stag.
@A$AP Ragnick: Like a lad you’ve met at an afters at 4:30 in the morning
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: that guy!
His form might not have been up to scratch this season but his leadership is without question. An absolute role model and ideal professional. The characteristics Seamus has are indispensable in todays professional game.
A steal from Sligo rovers .
John Terry will be on the phone to frank giving out that he doesn’t say that to him anymore..
@Charmaine ☘ Irish: or his say it his missus
@John Mcmahon: or he maybe spouted the same line to Wayne Bridge, because he was the bigger man not to retaliate against his brother John..
Might all be for nothing if the case taken against Everton by Leeds & Burnley has any legs.
@Everything Arsenal: It doesn’t. Enjoy your weekend.
@Everything Arsenal: those legs will take years