Tabakovic breaks Dortmund hearts late as Gladbach seals survival in style

It was a deserved victory in the end, even if it took until the 90th minute to arrive. 

The match had already started in a strange fashion after Dortmund's late arrival caused a 10-minute delay, but the early action did little to make up for it. The opening spell was scrappy and low on quality, with Kevin Stöger 's blocked effort the only notable attempt in the first exchanges. 

Gladbach gradually took control. The first shot on target came in the 20th minute when Joe Scally struck sweetly from the edge of the box, forcing Gregor Kobel into a save. 5 minutes later, Kobel was finally beaten by a superb Nico Elvedi volley from a set-piece, only for the offside flag to go up immediately. 

That warning did not slow the hosts down. Even though survival had not yet been secured, Gladbach played with more purpose and urgency than a Dortmund side whose Champions League place was already safe. They continued to push, but Kobel kept them out again when Tabakovic was denied from close range after more good work from Scally. 

The home side came even closer just before half-time. A Franck Honorat corner found Yannik Engelhardt, whose header drifted agonizingly wide.

Dortmund, by contrast, offered almost nothing going forward before the break. Their only real attempt came from Samuele Inácio , but his weak effort was easily gathered by Moritz Nicolas and summed up an underwhelming attacking display. 

Gladbach resumed after the interval much as they had finished the first half. Tabakovic missed from 6 meters under pressure, while Stöger then shot straight at Kobel from a promising position. There were signs Dortmund might show more after the break, with Julian Brandt offering a brief spark, but too often their threat faded before it properly formed. 

A wayward Julian Ryerson effort midway through the half was about as close as they came to sustained danger. Niko Kovac looked to change things by sending on Fabio Silva, hoping the substitute might inject life into the visitors. Silva did lead a dangerous counterattack in the 79th minute, but the move ended without the finish it deserved , and Dortmund's frustration only grew. 

Gladbach kept coming. With 5 minutes left, another low Honorat cross found Rocco Reitz in a promising position, but he could not sort his feet out quickly enough to finish. It looked like yet another chance slipping away, but Reitz did not have to wait long to make amends. 

In the 90th minute, he slipped the decisive pass into Tabakovic, who stayed calm and beat Kobel with a composed finish. The assistant initially raised the flag for offside, threatening to deny Gladbach one last time. 

But VAR confirmed that Tabakovic had timed his run perfectly. That decision sparked relief and celebration in equal measure. The goal secured survival, delivered Gladbach's first head-to-head win in 7 meetings , and ensured the season would not end with fear hanging over the final rounds. 

For Dortmund, the defeat may not cost them Champions League football, but it was still a poor way to continue the campaign. Having already secured a top-4 finish, they have now lost back-to-back away league matches for the first time in 16 months, an unwanted sign of how flat their finish to the season has become. 

For Gladbach, though, none of that mattered. This was their night, and Tabakovic made sure of it at the very end.