Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Borussia Monchengladbach: Perisic and Kagawa trigger celebrations as Jurgen Klopp's men retain Bundesliga crown

Posted Sunday, April 22, 2012 by YAHOO Sport

Jubilant scenes marked Borussia Dortmund's retention of the Bundesliga title with a comfortable 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach at the Signal Iduna Park.

Franck Ribery's late winner for Bayern Munich earlier in the day meant that BVB needed just a point to secure back-to-back championships and it showed no signs of complacency, dominating from the off. Goals from Ivan Perisic and Shinji Kagawa either side of the break were enough to ensure the title stayed in Dortmund.

The hosts began the game brightly with the Polish combination of Lukas Piszczek and Jakub "Kuba" Blaszczykowski attacking well down the right while Gladbach was clearly looking to stretch the hosts on the break.

In the 10th minute Robert Lewandowski picked the ball up 25 yards from goal. He tried to pick out the bottom corner but Marc-Andre ter Stegen managed to get down and make the slightest of contact, turning the ball behind for a corner.

Ten minutes later Marcel Schmelzer broke forward on the left and centred the ball. Kagawa could only prod the cross onto the post and Lewandowski then stole in to drill a shot on goal from eight yards out but ter Stegen spread himself well to block the shot.

Dortmund was on top of the game and the breakthrough came in the 23rd minute. Schmelzer's superbly executed in-swinging free kick was met by the head of an unmarked Perisic who nodded in at the near post.

But for a goal chalked off for offside, Lucien Favre's side had rarely threatened the BVB defense and eight minutes before the break Dortmund could have enhanced its lead. Mats Hummels beat the offside trap but his volley was met with a sublime reaction save by ter Stegen.

The game seemed to be locked into a pedestrian pace, but nine minutes after the break Gladbach almost restored parity.

Marco Reus lifted the ball over Schmelzer and picked it up the other side where he then nodded the ball past Roman Weidenfeller. The BVB left back had got back to cover his keeper and obstructed Reus' effort on its path to the net.

That block proved crucial and spurred Dortmund on to increase the lead. A lightning-fast break ended with Lewandowski slipping the ball into Kagawa who rounded ter Stegen with his first touch, slotted the ball home with his second, and was joined in celebration by Jurgen Klopp at the corner flag.

It was a huge relief for BVB and it stepped off the gas soon after. Lewandowski forced the Gladbach keeper into another save just after the hour mark but Dortmund spent the rest of the game holding the ball and soaking up the crowd's adulation.

The victory secured Dortmund its second consecutive Bundesliga title with two games to spare and it can now look forward to another crack at the Champions League next season. Gladbach meanwhile needs just a point from its remaining fixtures to secure a place in the same tournament.