Erling Braut Haaland again demonstrated his deadly finishing by netting twice on Saturday as Borussia Dortmund climbed to second in the Bundesliga table with a 4-0 demolition of Freiburg.
Dortmund bounced back from last weekend’s shock defeat at Augsburg as Haaland shone to leave him on 21 goals in 23 games for Dortmund since his January transfer as the burly Norwegian claimed clinically-taken goals.
Having also scored in Wednesday’s German Super Cup 3-2 defeat at Bayern Munich, the 20-year-old Haaland has netted five goals in as many games this season.
Dortmund were missing England winger Jadon Sancho and goalkeeper Roman Buerki, both recovering from illness having tested negative for the coronavirus.
Club captain Marco Reus made his first start for eight months after a groin injury.
US teenager Giovanni Reyna, who assisted all three goals, was outstanding alongside Reus in the attacking midfield role for Dortmund.
The 17-year-old played Haaland into space for the burly Norwegian to score both his goals, then delivered a pin-point corner for Emre Can’s headed goal.
Haaland, 19, once again showed dazzling finishing when he fired home from a right angle on 31 minutes.
Can then rose highest from a corner and his bullet header put Dortmund 2-0 up two minutes after the break.
Reyna and Haaland combined again when they got in behind the defence as the American delayed his pass which the Norwegian hammered into the net on 66 minutes.
Winger Felix Passlack claimed his first Bundesliga goal in added time to complete the rout with Haaland providing the final pass.
Defending champions Bayern Munich host Hertha Berlin on Sunday out to bounce back from last weekend’s shock defeat at Hoffenheim to end their 23-match winning streak.
Frankfurt go top
Eintracht Frankfurt top the league table after their 2-1 win over previous leaders Hoffeheim.
Croatia striker Andrej Kramaric netted his eighth goal in four games with a superb strike, curled inside the far corner, to give Hoffenheim the lead on 18 minutes.
However, Japan midfielder Daichi Kamada turned the game when he tapped home on 54 minutes, then powered through the defence before Bas Dost stabbed the ball over the line on 19 minutes from time.
It could have been 3-1 as Frankfurt had a late goal disallowed.
Champions League side Moenchenegladbach romped to a 3-1 win at Cologne as Alassane Plea and Stefan Lainer fired home before Lars Stindl added a penalty on 56 minutes.
Cologne scored a consolation goal when Elvis Rexhbecaj beat Gladbach keeper Yann Sommer from 20 metres out.
Bremen earned a second win in three games when Leonardo Bittencourt’s right-footed shot on 27 minutes sealed their 1-0 win at home to new boys Arminia Bielefeld.
The hosts survived a late scare as Bielefeld had a goal disallowed just before the whistle.
Leverkusen were held to a 1-1 draw at Stuttgart as Patrik Schick’s early goal was cancelled out by an equaliser by the hosts’ striker Sasa Kalajdzic.
On Friday, Union Berlin enjoyed their first win of the season with a 4-0 thumping of Mainz at home as Germany striker Max Kruse scored his first goal for the hosts.
