Dortmund Beats Leverkusen 2-1, Rises to Third in Bundesliga

Borussia Dortmund secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena on Saturday, leapfrogging their hosts into third place in the Bundesliga standings with 25 points. The win, powered by headed goals from Aaron Anselmino and Karim Adeyemi, ended a two-game drawing streak for Dortmund and provided a timely boost ahead of a midweek cup rematch.

The match began with Leverkusen pressing early, as Ernest Poku sliced a close-range effort over the bar in the 10th minute. Dortmund absorbed the pressure and struck just before halftime, when Anselmino rose highest to nod in Daniel Svensson's free kick in the 41st minute. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken could only deflect the header onto the post before it crossed the line, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead at the break.

After the interval, Leverkusen mounted attacks but struggled to convert. Malik Tillman missed the target with an effort shortly after restart, while Serhou Guirassy's point-blank shot was parried by Gregor Kobel. Dortmund doubled their advantage in the 65th minute through Adeyemi, who powered a header from Fabio Silva's cross into the near post, marking his fourth league goal of the season and extending his...