Two Erling Haaland goals set Borussia Dortmund on the way to victory over Greuther Fürth
Erling Haaland scored a goal in each half to help second-placed Borussia Dortmund take all three points against bottom side Greuther Fürth.
Borussia Dortmund 3-0 Greuther Fürth
Goals: 1-0 Haaland (pen. 33'), 2-0 Haaland 82' (assist: Brandt), 3-0 Malen 90' (assist: Brandt)
Fürth suffered chastening defeats at the hands of Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen in recent weeks, but frustrated Dortmund for long periods in the first half. BVB eventually found a way through with 23 minutes gone, only for Thorgan Hazard's thunderous finish to Haaland's sublime through-ball to be chalked off for offside. Greuther found occasional joy in behind Mats Hummels, with Jamie Leweling and Cedric Itten getting shots off, before falling behind to Haaland's penalty, the BVB striker having seen a shot handled by Maximilian Bauer. Sascha Burchert repelled further efforts from Marco Reus to keep the half-time scoreline to 1-0.
Hazard went close to doubling Dortmund's lead soon after the restart, but couldn't keep the ball in play after going past Burchert. Haaland barely touched the ball as Fürth grew into the contest, smelling an upset the longer it remained 1-0. Havard Nielsen went within a whisker of turning in a Jeremy Dudziak cross, while fellow substitute Branimir Hrgota wasn't far away with a direct corner. Fürth had kept Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski quiet earlier in the season and largely marked Haaland out of the game, until the 82nd minute when the 21-year-old met Julian Brandt's free-kick with a towering header. Substitute Donyell Malen's close-range finish added the gloss in the final minute.
Match stats
- Haaland has scored more Bundesliga goals (53 in 53 matches) than Fürth (34 in 50 matches).
- The Dortmund forward has 12 goals this season, and five braces.
- Malen has found the net five times across his last six competitive games.
- Jude Bellingham collected his fifth yellow card of the season, and will be suspended against Hertha Berlin on Matchday 17.
- BVB are this season's best home team (24 points from a possible 27), only losing to Bayern Munich.
- Greuther have shipped 49 goals after 16 matches.
Watch: Julian Brandt -'Winning what matters most right now'
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Line-ups
Dortmund: Kobel – Meunier, Hummels, Zagadou, Schulz – Witsel, Bellingham (Dahoud 46') – Brandt (Reinier 90'), Reus (c) (Can 75'), Hazard (Malen 75') - Haaland (Tigges 83')
Unused subs: Hitz, Pongracic, Reinier, Passlack, Knauff
Out: Akanji (knee), Bürki (ankle), Guerreiro (muscular), Morey (knee), Moukoko (muscular), Reyna (match fitness), Schmelzer (knee), Unbehaun (hand)
Coach: Marco Rose
Fürth: Burchert – Meyerhöfer, Griesbeck, Bauer, Willems (Itter 77') – Seguin (c), Christiansen, Tillman (Abiama 77') - Leweling (Hrgota 64'), Itten (Nielsen 46'), Dudziak (Green 64')
Unused subs: Schaffran, Asta, Seufert, Sarpei
Out: Funk (knee), Hoogma (knee), Jung (match fitness), Kehr (knee), Ngankam (knee), Viergever (ankle)
Coach: Stefan Leitl
Watch: Gregor Kobel - 'Not our best game'
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