bundesliga

Erling Haaland settles classic between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund

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Erling Haaland scored a brace as Borussia Dortmund thrice came from behind to win a seven-goal thriller against Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayer Leverkusen 3-4 Borussia Dortmund
Goals: 1-0 Wirtz (9'), 1-1 Haaland (37'), 2-1 Schick (45'), 2-2 Brandt (49') 3-2 Diaby (57'), 3-3 Guerreiro (71'), 3-4 Haaland (77')

Leverkusen were electric out of the traps at the BayArena, pressing Dortmund hard and fast. Moussa Diaby had already fired over following a mistake by Axel Witsel, when Raphael Guerreiro conceded possession in his own half to pave the way for the opening goal. Paulinho helped the ball on for Florian Wirtz, who drove into the parted BVB defence and smartly dinked beyond Gregor Kobel. Lukas Hradecky denied former Leverkusen midfielder Julian Brandt a near carbon-copy equaliser, before Guerreiro intervened at the other end to block Schick at point-blank range. Haaland headed in Thomas Meunier's right-wing cross to level, with the same duo combining to set up Jude Bellingham moments later. The English teenager's effort was ruled out following VAR review, though, for an earlier foul by Mahmoud Dahoud.

Bayer got their noses in front on the stroke of half-time, courtesy of another Dortmund mistake in midfield - this time from Brandt. After being set free by Kerem Demirbay, Wirtz duly played in Schick, who side-footed a superb first-time finish past Schick. Brandt atoned early in the second period with a quite exceptional run, touch and finish, only for Diaby to restore Leverkusen's lead within eight minutes. The Frenchman completely miscued his first attempt following a half-cleared corner, but expertly dispatched from 18 yards at the second bite of the cherry. Guerreiro responded with a sensational free-kick, before Dortmund forged ahead for the first time. VAR adjudged Odlion Kossounou to have raised an arm to the face of Marco Reus in the box, and Haaland made no mistake from the spot. Dortmund were largely untroubled in the closing stages, holding out to climb above Gerardo Seoane's previously unbeaten Werkself in the standings.

Match stats

  • Haaland is averaging over a goal a game in this season's Bundesliga, with five in four. He's scored 45 times in 47 Bundesliga appearances, all told.
  • After going eight Bundesliga matches without a goal, Schick has scored in three successive games
  • Wirtz has scored eight and assisted nine in 39 Bundesliga appearances.
  • Seoane lost for the first time as Leverkusen coach, and only the second time in 16 competitive games including the tail-end of his Young Boys stint.
  • Hradecky made his 200th Bundesliga appearance.
  • There has been at least one goal scored in the last 13 meetings between Leverkusen and Dortmund, and only one draw.

Watch: Reus: "We can't allow this to happen for the rest of the season"

Line-ups

Leverkusen: Hradecky (c) - Frimpong, Kossounou, Tah, Bakker - Andrich, Demirbay (Bellarabi 79') - Diaby, Wirtz, Paulinho (Adli 63') - Schick (Alario 79')
Unused subs: Lunev, Retsos, Sinkgraven, Amiri, Palacios
Out: Aranguiz (international duty), Baumgartlinger (knee), Fosu-Mensah (knee), Hincapie (international duty), Tapsoba (ankle)
Coach: Gerardo Seoane

Dortmund: Kobel - Meunier, Akanji, Pongracic (Hummels 84'), Guerreiro - Bellingham (Wolf89'), Witsel (Malen 66'), Dahoud - Brandt - Haaland, Reus (c)
Unused subs: Hitz, Reinier, Passlack, Gürpüz, Moukoko, Knauff
Out: Can (thigh), Coulibaly (knee), Hazard (ankle), Morey (knee), Reyna (thigh), Schmelzer (knee), Schulz (thigh), Tigges (thigh), Zagadou (knee)
Coach: Marco Rose

Watch: Hradecky: "I don't think this game deserved a loser"