Erling Haaland returns with a bang for Borussia Dortmund against Mainz

Erling Haaland marked his comeback with a second-half brace as Borussia Dortmund earned a 3-1 win over Mainz.

Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Mainz
Goals: 1-0 Reus 2', 2-0 Haaland (pen.) 55', 2-1 Burkardt (assist: Lee) 87', 3-1 Haaland (assist: Bellingham) 90'+3

Dortmund welcomed back Haaland following a three-game absence due to injury, but it was the left boot of Marco Reus that rocketed the home side into an early lead. Thomas Meunier's right-wing cross deflected into the path of the BVB captain, who thundered an unstoppable strike into the roof of the net from 16 yards. Haaland went within a whisker of getting his head to a Julian Brandt cross, before Meunier side-footed wide following a powerful Haaland run. Mainz squandered a promising three-on-three with their only meaningful foray into Dortmund territory, and were hugely fortunate not to go fall further behind as Moussa Niakhate cleared a Reus free-kick off the line, and Robin Zentner thwarted Haaland on the stroke of half-time.

Dominant in the first half and on the front-foot straight from the restart, Dortmund didn't have to wait too long to stretch their lead. Shortly after Aaron Martin deflected a Meunier cross narrowly wide, Haaland won and converted a penalty following a lengthy VAR review for handball against Silvan Widmer. Karim Onisiwo threatened a response, but could not land his difficult lobbed attempt on target after beating the offside trap. Mats Hummels glanced a Reus corner against the far post as the contest opened up, before Jean-Paul Boetius forced Gregor Kobel into a strong reaction save with a shot from distance. Mainz substitute Jonathan Burkardt reduced the areas following a miscued Kobel clearance, but Haaland tucked away a pass from Jude Bellingham to seal the deal in added time with his 49th Bundesliga goal in as many games.

Match stats

• Haaland is averaging a Bundesliga goal every 61 minutes this season (nine goals in six games).
• Reus has scored 14 times in 21 games against the 05ers.
• Dortmund are the only Bundesliga team with a 100 percent home record in 2021/22. They have not lost at the Signal Iduna Park in the league since 3 April 2021 (nine matches).
• BVB have conceded at least once in their last 11 Bundesliga matches.
• There were 63, 812 spectators in attendance - the highest number at Dortmund since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Burkardt scored his fifth Bundesliga goal, and second against BVB. He's also netted twice against record champions Bayern.

Watch: Jude Bellingham talks up Erling Haaland

Line-ups

Dortmund: Kobel - Meunier, Akanji, Hummels (Pongracic 67'), Schulz - Bellingham, Can (Witsel 85'), Brandt (Wolf 78') - Reus (c) (Reinier 85') - Haaland, Malen (Hazard 67')
Unused subs: Hitz, Passlack, Knauff
Out: Coulibaly (knee), Dahoud (knee), Guerreiro (muscular), Morey (knee), Moukoko (muscular), Reyna (thigh), Schmelzer (knee), Zagadou (knee)
Coach: Marco Rose 

Mainz: Zentner - Tauer, Bell (Burkhardt 69'), Niakhate (c) - Widmer, Barreiro (Lee 69'), Stach (Papela 83'), Lucoqui (Martin 46') - Boetius, Ingvartsen (Hack 69') - Onisiwo
Unused subs: Dahmen, Brosinski, Stöger, Nemeth
Out: Kohr (suspended), St. Juste (shoulder), Szalai (knee)
Coach: Bo Svensson

Watch: Bo Svensson admits to Mainz struggles