Borussia Dortmund earned a win 2-1 against Augsburg on Saturday afternoon to keep their title pursuit intact.
After their one-nil win over Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League in midweek, Dortmund returned to the Bundesliga with the aim of getting back to winning ways after losing to Borussia Monchengladbach in their last Bundesliga game.
The hosts started the game brightly and were all over their visitors, pressing them and harrying them into mistakes. And it wasn’t long before their high-energy start bore fruit as just ten minutes into the match, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw fouled Donyell Malen in the box. The referee had no choice but to point to the penalty spot, and Raphael Guerreiro stepped up to score.
The hosts continued to dominate, but could not add to their tally. Despite being the second-best team for much of the first half, the visitors managed to get themselves back in the game in the 35th minute when Andi Zeqiri capitalised on a loose ball in the box to score.
Six minutes after the restart, Dortmund restored their lead through Julian Brandt who finished a good BVB counterattack.
The hosts continued to carve out many chances but could not find the back of the net for the third time while the visitors who were totally outclassed could only feed on scraps.
Marco Reus continues to shine
Just when you think it is time to forget Marco Reus, he comes up with something else. The Borussia Dortmund captain has been through several seasons as a footballer but seems to keep coming out stronger.
He had a fantastic game against Augsburg on Saturday and was behind everything good for Dortmund. He made his 325th appearance for the German side and assisted his side’s second goal. The assist was his 100th assist for the club in all competitions and made him the first player in Dortmund history to reach 100 goals and assists. Although he could not add to his 142 goals tally for the club, he still emerged as the best player on the night.
At 32, he is the leader of this Dortmund side and is leading this team forward. Another year at the top beckons for him and he will be looking to continue this fine form in the hope of finally playing in the World Cup next year.
Donyell Malen making Dortmund forget Sancho
While Jadon Sancho is still struggling to find his feet at Manchester United, Donyell Malen is taking his Dortmund career to new heights.
The Dutchman who was signed to replace the departed Englishman followed up his winner in the Champions League in midweek with a good showing against Augsburg. The visitors couldn’t handle him at times and resorted to fouling him, which led to the penalty.
The youngster is filling in very well in the absence of star striker Erling Haaland. He might not possess the superhuman qualities of the Norwegian and might never reach his heights. But if he continues at this rate, it won’t be long before bigger clubs come queuing for his signature.
Augsburg’s struggles continue
Augsburg lost their fourth game out of seven on Saturday, and their performance was very bad.
The visitors were completely outplayed by their hosts who ended the game with 14 shots on targets compared to three shots for the visitors.
The scoreline would have flattered Markus Weinzierl, who will now have question marks over his future at the club. His side are sitting in 16th place and have the third-worst defensive record in the league—after conceding 13 times and scoring just three.
Although, surprisingly Dortmund have also conceded 13 goals this term and have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last games.
But Weinzierl has to focus on his team now and will hope to use the international break to sort out his side.
