Dortmund close in on Bayern
Defending champions Borussia Dortmund hammered Cologne 5-0 yesterday to move up to second in the German league and close the gap on leaders Bayern Munich. Bayern are at Hanover today, but their lead at the top has been cut to three points after Jurgen...
Defending champions Borussia Dortmund hammered Cologne 5-0 yesterday to move up to second in the German league and close the gap on leaders Bayern Munich.
Bayern are at Hanover today, but their lead at the top has been cut to three points after Jurgen Klopp’s side dismantled Cologne with Poland striker Robert Lewandowski scoring twice.
Having suffered their second straight Champions League defeat at Olympiakos in midweek, Dortmund bounced back in style.
Dortmund won the title last season with Lucas Barrios their top scorer, but with the Paraguay striker injured, Lewandowski is filling the role as Borussia’s lone centre-forward with seven goals in 10 games.
The hosts began the rout when Japan winger Shinji Kagawa netted after just seven minutes, Germany defender Marcel Schmelzer then curled in a long-range shot and Lewandowski finished off a great move to make it 3-0 at the break.
The Poland forward then netted again five minutes into the second half as the hosts attacked in waves and Sebastian Kehl scored the fifth from a header on 66 minutes.
Cologne’s Lukas Podolski barely got a look in as Dortmund dominated to claim their fourth straight league win, although Bayern can re-open a five-point gap today if they win at Hanover.
With Borussia Moenchengladbach dropping to fifth from second in the table after their 1-0 defeat at Hoffenheim, Stuttgart are up to third after their 2-2 draw at Nuremberg.
An 84th-minute header from Mexico defender Francisco Rodriguez gave Stuttgart the equaliser to claim the point.
Werder Bremen are fourth after they drew 1-1 with Augsburg on Friday.
Freiburg slipped to the foot of the table after losing 1-0 at Kaiserslautern.
Having been appointed Hamburg coach on Monday, Thorsten Fink got off to a good start with a 1-1 draw at home to Wolfsburg in the late match.
The former FC Basel manager still has his work cut out, with his new team having won just two of their 10 league games this season, collecting eight points on the way.
Fresh from their Champions League win over Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen host Schalke today.
Results
B. Dortmund vs Cologne 5-0; Nuremberg vs Stuttgart 2-2; Hamburg vs Wolfsburg 1-1; H. Berlin vs Mainz 0-0; Hoffenheim vs B. M’gladbach 1-0; Kaiserslautern vs Freiburg 1-0.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| B. Munich | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 22 |
| B. Dortmund | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 7 | 19 |
| Stuttgart | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 8 | 17 |
| W. Bremen | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 13 | 17 |
| B. M’gladbach | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 17 |
| Hoffenheim | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 9 | 16 |
| Schalke 04 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 15 | 15 |
| Hanover | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 15 |
| B. Leverkusen | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| Hertha Berlin | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
| Wolfsburg | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 13 |
| Cologne | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 23 | 13 |
| Nuremberg | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 12 |
| Kaiserslautern | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 11 |
| Mainz | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 9 |
| Augsburg | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 8 |
| Hamburg | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 22 | 8 |
| Freiburg | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 25 | 7 |
Playing today: 15.30 B. Leverkusen vs Schalke. 17.30 Hanover vs B. Munich.