Having let a lead slip in consecutive outings, Dortmund started quickly and were again the first side on the scoresheet.
Returning to the starting lineup after two months out, Niklas Sule floated his cross to the far post and an unmarked Julian Brandt, who gracefully took it on the volley and inside the far post.
The dominant hosts could easily have had more in the subsequent exchanges, with a faint touch from Nico Elvedi the only thing stopping Serhou Guirassy from nodding in.
Moritz Nicolas then did brilliantly to keep out Karim Adeyemi’s point-blank effort, but there was to be a resurgence from Gladbach before the half was out.
Their clearest chance came when Adeyemi lost the ball in midfield, leading to Florian Neuhaus breaking through on the left-hand side of the area, but he could only see his shot diverted past the post by a lunging Süle.
They couldn’t continue that momentum after half time, though, and Dortmund had the best of a feisty opening to the second half. Adeyemi’s shot forced a brilliant fingertip save from Nicolas, but the manner of his challenge on Kevin Diks just prior angered the Gladbach players.
They rallied in search of a potential equaliser, and only Gregor Kobel’s reflexes prevented 16-year-old Wael Mohya from smashing in with his first touch since coming on.
The chances soon dried up for the visitors, though, and Maximilian Beier put things beyond doubt in the final seconds by receiving Fabio Silva’s pass and sweeping beyond Nicolas.
After getting back to winning ways, Dortmund have provisionally cut the gap behind Bayern Munich to six points – though that will likely return to nine after Sunday’s action, when Die Roten travel to Heidenheim as overwhelming favourites.
Meanwhile, Gladbach’s form is faltering after a fantastic November, though their five-point gap away from the bottom three means they know they will spend the winter outside it.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Niklas Sule (Borussia Dortmund)
See a summary of the match here
