Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen: Andrich stunner sends Hjulmand's side closer to Bundesliga top four

A stunning strike from Robert Andrich earned Bayer Leverkusen a 1-0 win over second-place Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, boosting their push for Champions League qualification. 

Both sides traded chances in an open first half at Signal Iduna Park, with Julian Brandt firing wide twice, while Aleix Garcia failed to test Gregor Kobel from distance. 

Andrich then broke the deadlock three minutes before the break with a stunning 25-yard strike. The Leverkusen skipper smartly intercepted Jobe Bellingham's careless pass before rifling a powerful effort into the bottom-right corner, leaving Kobel rooted to the spot. 

Dortmund pressed hard after the restart with half-chances for Brandt and Serhou Guirassy, both of which flew off target, before Patrik Schick forced Kobel into a nervous save on the hour mark. 

The Black-Yellow were unable to carve out a significant chance until the 83rd minute, when Guirassy's blazing left-foot strike clipped the bar, with Almugera Kabar heading wide just seconds later. 

Kobel was called into action to deny the Werkself a second on the stroke of full-time, diving at full stretch to parry Schick's high header, as Leverkusen were able to hold on and secure all three points. 

Data Debrief: Andrich delivers at just the right moment 

Leverkusen are now unbeaten in their last seven Bundesliga matches, equalling their longest run this season (between August 30 and October 26). 

Dortmund's slew of half-chances saw them finish with 1.26 expected goals (xG), though they were duly punished for their lack of cutting edge in front of goal. 

Leverkusen, meanwhile, managed just 0.60 xG, with Andrich’s decisive strike proving the difference when it was most needed.