Lewandowski at the double
Borussia Dortmund crushed Freiburg 5-1 yesterday, thanks to two goals apiece from top scorer Robert Lewandowski and Nuri Sahin, to consolidate second place in the Bundesliga. The champions netted three times in four minutes at the end of the first half...
Borussia Dortmund crushed Freiburg 5-1 yesterday, thanks to two goals apiece from top scorer Robert Lewandowski and Nuri Sahin, to consolidate second place in the Bundesliga.
The champions netted three times in four minutes at the end of the first half while Lewandowski set a club record by scoring in his eighth straight league game.
The previous Dortmund record stretched back to the 1964/65 season when the late Friedhelm ‘Timo’ Konietzka scored in seven consecutive Bundesliga games.
Lewandowski is among the most sought-after strikers in Europe and German media have long speculated that he will move south to Bayern Munich after refusing to sign a contract extension. His current deal runs out in 2014.
Jonathan Schmid had given eighth-placed Freiburg a 28th-minute lead but Lewandowski levelled 13 minutes later.
Turkey midfielder Sahin made it 2-1 before Poland striker Lewandowski added a third goal with a brilliant solo effort in stoppage time, his 19th of the season in the league.
Sahin, who returned to Dortmund in the January transfer window after unhappy spells at Real Madrid and Liverpool, grabbed his second goal in the 72nd minute.
Lewandowski then did well to set up the talented Leonardo Bittencourt for his first Bundesliga goal six minutes later.
Dortmund, who face Malaga in next month’s Champions League quarter-finals, have 49 points from 26 games. Bayer Leverkusen stay third on 45 points after going down 2-1 to runaway leaders Bayern Munich in the evening match.
Bayern, who are also in the last eight of the Champions League, have 69 points and are all but certain to secure their first league title since 2010.
Schalke, knocked out of the Champions League by Galatasaray in midweek, lost 3-0 at Nuremberg to drop down to fifth on 39 points.
The visitors hit the woodwork through Julian Draxler and Benedikt Hoewedes but could not make a breakthrough as Nuremberg moved up to 11th with 34 points.
The defeat leaves the future of Schalke coach Jens Keller in doubt.
Hamburg, missing injured playmaker Rafael van der Vaart, lost ground in their battle for a Europa League spot, slumping to a 1-0 home defeat by third from bottom Augsburg after a goal by Jan-Ingwer Callsen Braker.
Hamburg, seventh on 38 points, had Maximilian Beister sent off for a rough challenge in the 80th minute.
Results
Nuremberg 3 - Schalke 0
B. Dortmund 5 - Freiburg 1
B. Leverkusen 1 - B. Munich 2
Hamburg 0 - Augsburg 1
Hoffenheim 0 - Mainz 0
W. Bremen 2 - G. Fuerth 2
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| B. Munich | 26 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 69 | 11 | 69 |
| B. Dortmund | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 60 | 31 | 49 |
| B. Leverkusen | 26 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 46 | 34 | 45 |
| E. Frankfurt | 25 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 38 | 35 | 39 |
| Schalke 04 | 26 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 43 | 43 | 39 |
| Mainz | 26 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 33 | 29 | 38 |
| Hamburg | 26 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 30 | 34 | 38 |
| Freiburg | 26 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 33 | 33 | 36 |
| B. M’gladbach | 25 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 34 | 35 | 35 |
| Hanover | 25 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 47 | 45 | 34 |
| Nuremberg | 26 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 29 | 32 | 34 |
| Wolfsburg | 26 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 30 | 40 | 31 |
| W. Bremen | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 42 | 51 | 30 |
| Dusseldorf | 26 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 32 | 36 | 29 |
| Stuttgart | 25 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 26 | 43 | 29 |
| Augsburg | 26 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 23 | 38 | 24 |
| Hoffenheim | 26 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 30 | 49 | 20 |
| G. Fuerth | 26 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 16 | 42 | 15 |
Playing today
E. Frankfurt vs Stuttgart - 15.30
B. M’gladbach vs Hanover - 17.30