BERLIN, April 5 (silubaba) -- Leipzig delivered a flawless performance on Wednesday, cruising past an uninspired Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the quarterfinals. Timo Werner and Willi Orban scored the goals that sealed the victory.
Leipzig seized control from the opening whistle and kept Dortmund's defense busy. Werner pulled wide from a promising position in the third minute, and goalkeeper Gregor Kobel tipped Dani Olmo's effort around the left post nine minutes later.
The host's flying start paid off in the 22nd minute when Mohamed Simakan danced through Dortmund's territory before squaring into the path of Werner, who beat Kobel from close range inside the box.
Dortmund couldn't find an answer, and Leipzig kept pressing. David Raum headed narrowly wide, while Werner squandered a dangerous attack by passing instead of unleashing a shot from a promising position with only Kobel to beat in the 39th minute.
After the restart, Leipzig ceased its offensive actions but remained dangerous. Olmo came close with a long-range effort at the hour mark.
BVB never gained a foothold in the clash and failed to pose a threat in front of Leipzig's goal area. Dortmund eventually worked out its first chance in the 91st minute when Donyell Malen couldn't beat Leipzig goalkeeper Janis Blaswich.
Blaswich had to be on guard again moments later when he made a diving save to deny substitute Jami Bynoe-Gittens from ten meters.
Leipzig had the last laugh and finished off a counterattack via Orban to seal the deal in the dying seconds of injury time.
"The boys implemented our match plan perfectly. We secured a deserved victory, but we should have scored more goals," said Leipzig head coach Marco Rose.
"We played a disastrous first half. Leipzig pressed us onto the back foot from the kickoff. We must thank Gregor Kobel for not conceding more goals in the first half. We were too nervous and invited Leipzig. The second half was better, but still not good enough," said Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic.
Elsewhere, struggling Stuttgart returned to winning ways and booked their berth for the next round as Enzo Millot's sole goal was enough to knock out the second-division outfit Nuremberg. ■
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