Piszczek rescues Dortmund at 10-man Bremen

Berlin - Lukasz Piszczek saved Borussia Dortmund's blushes with the winner in a 2-1 victory at 10-man Werder Bremen on Saturday to lift the club up to fourth in the Bundesliga.

A Dortmund side missing predator Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang trails leader Bayern Munich by 12 points, but climbed up from sixth with the first league win since the start of December.

Germany forward Andre Schurrle and Poland defender Piszczek netted for Dortmund after Fin Bartels' second-half equaliser for Bremen, who had goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny sent off in the first half.

With the league's top scorer Aubameyang away on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Gabon, Schurrle started as striker for Dortmund.

He scored after just five minutes for his first competitive goal since the late equaliser in Dortmund's 2-2 Champions League draw with Real Madrid in September.

Bremen had Drobny sent off on 39 minutes when his outstretched foot made contact with Marco Reus' hip when the Germany winger was through on goal.

With Drobny off, Bremen's all-time top-scorer, striker Claudio Pizarro, was substituted for reserve goalkeeper Felix Wiedwald.

But Bremen rallied, rattling Dortmund's crossbar at the end of the first half through captain Clemens Fritz.

Despite the numerical disadvantage Bremen equalised when Bartels sprinted between two Dortmund defenders to fire home on 59 minutes.

Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel responded by bringing on winger Ousmane Dembele and Portugal international Raphael Guerreiro.

The move paid off as Dembele won a corner and Guerreiro's shot was charged down, but Piszczek tapped the looping ball over Wiedwald on 71 minutes.