Aaron Anselmino scored his first Borussia Dortmund goal to help his side secure a 2-1 win over fellow top-four challengers Bayer Leverkusen, extending BVB’s impressive run to just one defeat in their last 13 domestic away matches (W9, D3).

Leverkusen entered the contest brimming with confidence after four straight victories with a combined 12-1 scoreline, and fresh off a commanding 2-0 win at Manchester City in midweek. That momentum showed early, with the hosts creating the first clear opening after 10 minutes when Ernest Poku cut inside but fired over from a promising position.

Die Werkself largely controlled the first half, yet their dominance lacked end product. Dortmund made them pay just before the interval when Daniel Svensson delivered a pinpoint set piece that met the head of Anselmino, who powered his effort beyond Mark Flekken. Having scored the opener in nine of their previous 10 home games, Leverkusen found themselves in an unfamiliar position—trailing at the break.

Kasper Hjulmand’s side pushed hard after the restart and should have equalised when Malik Tillman directed a pressured header wide at the back post. Dortmund responded through Serhou Guirassy, whose sharp effort was kept out by Flekken before the striker was replaced by Fabio Silva.

That change proved inspired. Just four minutes after coming on, Silva produced a beautifully whipped cross that caught Loïc Badé off guard, allowing Karim Adeyemi to steal in and nod home Dortmund’s second goal.

With seven of Dortmund’s previous nine league matches featuring under 2.5 goals, the visitors had reason for confidence entering the closing stages. Chances continued to flow, though: Jonas Hofmann rattled the crossbar for Leverkusen, while Julian Brandt curled wide when sent through against his former club.

It appeared Dortmund would close out a relatively comfortable win as the game tightened, but an 83rd-minute inswinging delivery from Ibrahim Maza caused late tension, with Christian Kofane stabbing the ball home to reduce the deficit.

Leverkusen’s late strike ultimately proved only a consolation. Dortmund held firm to end a run of consecutive stoppage-time setbacks in the Bundesliga and climbed into third place, overtaking their opponents in the table.

For Leverkusen, who had won all their November matches except for a heavy 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich, this loss adds to a difficult recent record—now six defeats in their last 10 meetings with BVB (W2, D2).