Dynamo Dresden vs. Borussia Dortmund: Score, Grades, Reaction from DFB Cup

Dynamo Dresden 0-2 Borussia Dortmund

Ciro Immobile scored twice as Borussia Dortmund progressed to the German Cup quarter-finals after a bruising encounter away to Dynamo Dresden on Tuesday.

The Italian striker took advantage of an awful error by Michael Hefele to give the Bundesliga team a lead in the 50th minute after the Dresden defender had caught Immobile with an elbow under the eye just before half-time.

The former Torino forward then turned home a Jakub Blaszczykowski cross in the final minute of the game to seal Dortmund's place in the last eight.

Dortmund's victory means they have now won their last five matches on German soil after a poor first half to the Bundesliga campaign, but they remain on course for a second successive cup final appearance.

Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed out due to a back issue, leaving Immobile to plough a lone furrow up front. Centre midfielder Nuri Sahin also sat out with an abductor muscle injury.

The big news for the visitors, though, was Blaszczykowski making his first Dortmund start since January 2014 after a horrendous time with injuries.

It was a low-key opening to the game. Neither side threatened in the opening 15 minutes, although the noise being made by the supporters in the Glucksgas Stadium made up for the lack of entertainment on the field.

Germany Under-20 international Niklas Kreuser proved to be a lively presence on the right for the home side, though.

There was some concern for Dortmund when star midfielder Marco Reus went down under a cynical challenge from Dresden defender Dennis Erdmann and hobbled off the pitch in the 21st minute.

Michael Sohn/Associated Press

The Germany international was eventually withdrawn from the game with Henrikh Mkhitaryan coming on to replace him.

However, early indications were that the Germany international only suffered a dead leg in the incident.

Neven Subotic needed to be alert in the 30th minute as the home side threatened, but the towering centre-back gave away a free-kick for his troubles.

From the subsequent set piece, Dresden appealed for a penalty after an incident in the Dortmund area, but the referee waved away their protests.

Dresden constantly undid their hopes of a cup shock with their lack discipline around the area, and Mkhitaryan went close after connecting with a deep Marcel Schmelzer free-kick to the far post.

Dortmund received some good fortune in the 43rd minute when Dresden's Justin Eilers was ruled offside as he collected a pass with a free run at goal ahead. Television replays showed that the Dresden man was inside his own half, though.

Immobile then required treatment after he was caught by Hefele's swinging elbow which left the striker with a cut under his eye.

Aubameyang tweeted out his frustration with Dresden's rough play as he watched on:

Dortmund dominated possession in the first period but created little, although the strong-arm tactics of Peter Nemeth's side were a major talking point of the opening 45 minutes.

Immobile reappeared for the second period with what seemed to be a butterfly stitch under his eye, but there were no changes for either team.

Dortmund goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak was called into action in the 48th minute when he needed to block twice after hesitancy from his defence.

Dresden's David Vrzogic received the first caution of the game moments later, and Immobile got revenge on Hefele for his earlier challenge in the best possible fashion in the 50th minute.

The Dresden defender was under no pressure when he played a ball across the edge of his own penalty area, but the woeful pass was intercepted by the Italian and he promptly fired home to give the Bundesliga side the lead.

At the other end, a Mats Hummels slip allowed Eilers to race through on goal, but Langerak spread his body to make the save and spare the defender's blushes.

Mkhitaryan should have added a second when he connected with an Oliver Kirch cross, but his effort flew over the crossbar.

In the 77th minute, substitute Ramos should have struck a second but lost the ball under his feet with the goal at his mercy, although Dortmund players claimed his effort was handled by Hefele on the line. Replays showed it wasn't.

Dortmund weren't out of the encounter yet, though, and a dipping Nils Teixeira effort 10 minutes from time was enough to warn the visitors.

Immobile sealed the victory in the final minute when a cross by Blaszczykowski found the striker unmarked inside the Dresden area, and he fired home his second goal of the night.

It was a sweet reward for Immobile, who had endured some hefty challenges throughout the game. But he had the last laugh as Dortmund progressed.

Selected Player Ratings

Ciro Immobile: A

The Dortmund striker was starved of service in the first period but was granted the opening goal by a Dresden error. Proved hard to mark by Dresden in the second half of the tie and his second was just reward for a fine display.

Dennis Erdmann: B

Solid at the back for Dynamo Dresden, but his cynical challenge which forced Marco Reus to leave the field was unnecessary. Fortunate to escape punishment for it.

Shinji Kagawa: C

Like his Dortmund team-mates, the former Manchester United midfielder struggled to find a way through the Dresden back line in the opening 45 minutes. A disappointing night for Kagawa ended with his withdrawal midway through the second half.

Post-Match Reaction

A Dortmund statement on the club's official website said of Reus' injury:

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It is currently not clear how serious Marco Reus' injury is. A precise diagnosis will not be made until Wednesday morning but it is a real shame given that the Dortmund-born midfielder has already spent several spells on the sidelines in recent months.

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Bleacher Report's Jerrad Peters believes Dortmund has plenty of reason for optimism after Tuesday's result, even with Reus' potential injury: