bundesliga

Daniel Caligiuri helps Augsburg extend perfect start to the season with win over Borussia Dortmund

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Felix Uduokhai and Daniel Caligiuri extended Augsburg's perfect start to the season, as the Bavarians beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to make it two wins out of two.

Augsburg 2-0 Dortmund
Goals: 1-0 Uduokhai (40'), 2-0 Caligiuri (54')

Jude Bellingham had the first shot of the game, after his fellow Englishman Jadon Sancho had created space with a powerful, mazy run, and an Axel Witsel volley which brought a fine save out of Rafal Gikiewicz after just five minutes suggested a busy afternoon for the Augsburg defence. That was not how things panned out, however. Florian Niederlechner twice got in around the back of the Dortmund rearguard to remind the Westphalians not to neglect their defensive duties, but it was a warning they did not heed as Uduokhai headed the hosts in front from former Schalke midfielder Caligiuri's free-kick. A deflected Thomas Meunier effort almost found the top corner of Gikiewicz's goal before the Augsburg goalkeeper tipped the ball away from Erling Haaland as he seemed primed to score.

The plot was to thicken early in the second half when Caligiuri was put through by Niederlechner, and he held off the challenge of Meunier before slotting the ball past Roman Bürki to double Augsburg's lead. There was still over half-an-hour to go when Dortmund coach Lucien Favre sent on Marco Reus and Julian Brandt in an even more attacking set-up, which looked a little too top-heavy whenever Augsburg broke, and they almost got a third through Reece Oxford's dipping volley. It did not look like it was going to be Dortmund's day, but Uduokhai and Jeffrey Gouweleeuw can deservedly take credit for the way they kept the visitors' array of attacking options at bay, while an authoritative Gikiewicz proved to be an impenetrable wall, with a late save from Mats Hummels the pick of the bunch.

Match stats

  • Augsburg have won their first two Bundesliga games of the season for the first time in their history.
  • Uduokhai's only previous Bundesliga goal came almost three years ago, for Wolfsburg against Hoffenheim.
  • Augsburg scored five headed goals in the whole of last season; they have three in two games this term.
  • Caligiuri marked his 300th Bundesliga appearance with his first assist and first goal for Augsburg.
  • Augsburg coach Heiko Herrlich spent nine years at Dortmund as a player, winning two Bundesliga titles.

Watch: Akanji: “It wasn’t good enough”

Line-ups

Augsburg: Gikiewicz - Framberger, Gouweleeuw (c), Uduokhai, Iago - Caligiuri, Khedira (Oxford 63'), Gruezo (Strobl 90'+2), Hahn (Suchy 90'+2) - Gregoritsch (Jensen 57'), Niederlechner (Finnbogason 62')
Unused subs: Koubek, Gumny, Pedersen, Richter
Out: Löwen (knock), Moravek (muscular)
Coach: Heiko Herrlich

Dortmund: Bürki - Can, Hummels (c), Akanji - Meunier (Reinier 69'), Bellingham (Reus 60'), Witsel (Dahoud 83'), Guerreiro (Brandt 59') - Sancho, Reyna - Haaland
Unused subs: Hitz, Delaney, Wolf, Passlack
Out: Hazard (muscular), Morey (thigh), Piszczek (back), Schmelzer (knee), Schulz (calf), Zagadou (knee)
Coach: Lucien Favre 

Watch: Uduokhai: "We knew we could win by using set-pieces"