Fast-improving Borussia Dortmund notched their fourth straight Bundesliga win after scoring three times in eight minutes late on to earn a 3-0 home victory over Ruhr Valley rivals Schalke 04 yesterday.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put them ahead in the 78th minute after last season’s runners-up squandered a dozen scoring chances and hit the bar.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan tapped in from close range a minute later before Marco Reus made it 3-0 in the 86th.
Dortmund, who produced some sloppy finishing earlier in the game and also came up against superb goalkeeping from Schalke teenager Timon Wellenreuther, are in mid-table with 28 points.
The 19-year-old kept his cool when Aubameyang charged forward and managed to block his effort in the fourth minute.
Wellenreuther was lucky when Shinji Kagawa’s lob sailed just wide but he pulled off a string of excellent stops.
Dortmund kept pushing and hit the woodwork through a deflected Reus effort as the 80,000-crowd grew impatient.
Reus wasted several more good chances before Aubameyang picked the ball up on the edge of the box and slotted in his 10th league goal of the season.
Mkhitaryan added another, as the Schalke defence buckled under pressure, before Reus finished them off.
Schalke, who had striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar back from suspension, have now won only one of their last five league games.
Leaders Bayern Munich are 11 points clear at the top after crushing Cologne 4-1 on Friday. Second-placed Wolfsburg travel to Werder Bremen this afternoon.
Results
B. Leverkusen vs Freiburg - 1-0
B. Dortmund vs Schalke - 3-0
E. Frankfurt vs Hamburg - 2-1
Hanover vs Stuttgart - 1-1
Hertha Berlin vs Augsburg - 1-0
Hoffenheim vs Mainz - 2-0
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| B. Munich | 23 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 63 | 10 | 58 |
| Wolfsburg | 22 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 48 | 24 | 47 |
| B. Mgladbach | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 29 | 18 | 37 |
| B. Lev’kusen | 23 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 37 | 29 | 36 |
| Schalke | 23 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 32 | 27 | 35 |
| Augsburg | 23 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 32 | 30 | 35 |
| Hoffenheim | 23 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 36 | 35 | 33 |
| E. Frankfurt | 23 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 42 | 45 | 31 |
| W. Bremen | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 36 | 44 | 30 |
| B. Dortmund | 23 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 31 | 31 | 28 |
| Hanover | 23 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 26 | 34 | 27 |
| Mainz | 23 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 30 | 33 | 25 |
| Cologne | 23 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 21 | 29 | 25 |
| Hertha Berlin | 23 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 28 | 42 | 24 |
| Hamburg | 23 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 33 | 24 |
| Paderborn | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 23 | 41 | 23 |
| Freiburg | 23 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 24 | 32 | 22 |
| Stuttgart | 23 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 24 | 41 | 19 |
Playing today
B. M’gladbach vs Paderborn - 15.30
W. Bremen vs Wolfsburg - 17.30