Erling Haaland hat-trick fires Borussia Dortmund into DFB Cup second round
Erling Haaland has started the 2021/22 season as he undoubtedly means to go on, scoring a hat-trick in Borussia Dortmund’s 3-0 victory away to Wehen Wiesbaden in the DFB Cup first round.
The reigning cup holders sent out an early statement of their intent, with Haaland going around goalkeeper Florian Stritzel inside the first minute, only to see his effort from a tight angle cleared off the line. Undeterred, Marco Rose’s side continued to dominate and went close again when Marco Reus’ 25-yard free-kick was tipped around the post by Stritzel. Dortmund soon got the breakthrough their superiority deserved though, when Haaland latched onto Reus’ superb pass to prod home from 16 yards. The Norwegian striker doubled his and his team’s tally moments later from the penalty spot, sending Stritzel the wrong way to put BVB firmly in the driving seat at the interval.
If the hosts had any hopes of staging a second-half comeback, Haaland made sure they would not come to fruition shortly after the restart when he collected Gio Reyna's pass inside the box. His initial shot was well saved by Stritzel, but the Dortmund No.9 was quickest to the rebound and poked over the line from close range. To their credit, Wiesbaden refused to give in and they went close a couple of times, first when Maximilian Thiel got behind Felix Passlack to cross, before Kevin Lankford headed over from a short distance. Summer signing Donyell Malen made his competitive debut for Dortmund late on and almost crowned the occasion with a goal, only to see Stritzel make another fine save. It ultimately mattered little though; the night belonged to Haaland as Dortmund sealed their place in the second round.
Match stats
Dortmund beat Wiesbaden 1-0 in their only previous meeting in the second round of the DFB Cup in 2000, with Heiko Herrlich netting an extra-time winner.
Haaland now has six goals in five DFB Cup games for BVB, including two in last season's final.
Reyna also has three DFB Cup goals, including a brace in last season's semi-final win over Holstein Kiel.
The cup holders have lifted the DFB Cup five times and appeared in 10 finals.
Wiesbaden's best performance in the competition came in 2008/09, when they were beaten by Hamburg in the quarter-finals.
BVB book their place in the next round of the competition after easing to victory over their third-tier opponents. Haaland was in clinical mood, hitting a hat-trick to take his tally to 60 goals in as many games for Dortmund.
This is probably Wiesbaden's best chance of the game as a cross comes in from the right. Lankford is first to it, but can't direct his header on target.
It looks like it's going to be a debut goal for Malen, who is found unmarked at the back post by Haaland. He takes a touch to settle himself, but that gives Stritzel just enough time to close the angle further and deflect the Dutchman's shot over the bar.
77'
PROKOP DENIED BY KOBEL
The substitute shoots, but it's another comfortable one for Kobel.
75'
NEXT HAALAND CHANCE
Dortmund counter quickly following a Wiesbaden corner. Reyna dribbles inside from the right and when his shot is blocked, Haaland is first to the rebound. He immediately gets a shot away, but it's deflected and loops into the hands of Stritzel.
Malen instigates an attack, which comes to Schulz on the edge of the area. He lets rip with a powerful drive, but it sails over.
66'
MALEN DEBUT
Another couple of changes for Dortmund, this time in the attacking department as summer signing Malen comes on for his competitive debut, replacing Tigges. Hazard is now also on, with Reus making way.
A cross from the left is delivered to the back post, where it's nodded down to Lankford, about eight yards from goal. He shoot first time but can't keep his effort down and it whizzes high over the bar.
61'
THIEL ALMOST IN
Passlack misjudges a long punt forward from Stritzel, allowing Thiel to get behind him and flick the ball into the middle from the byline. Kobel scurries to get there and just arrives ahead of Lankford.
Bellingham collects the ball on the right, dummies to cross before cutting inside the defender and shooting with his left foot. He catches it well but it's blocked before it reaches Stritzel's goal.
51'
HAT-TRICK FOR HAALAND!
Reyna finds space on the left and curls a pass with the outside of his right boot into the path of Haaland, who is completely unmarked in the Wiesbaden box. His initial shot is blocked by Stritzel's legs but he's first to the rebound and taps in from close range.
It's a well merited lead for BVB, who have been the better side without having to be at their best. Haaland's brace, the second from the penalty spot, is the difference between the teams at the break.
His side may be in control and 2-0 up, but Dortmund coach Marco Rose is still demanding more from his players. He's very vocal on the touchline, constantly bellowing instructions to his charges.
37'
CARSTENS SHOOTS
Dortmund struggle to clear a ball into their box and Wiesbaden manage to work it from the right into the middle, where it's laid off for Carstens to shoot from 25 yards. His low shot is on target but doesn't have anywhere near the power required to beat Kobel, and it's a comfortable save.
Haaland is brought down by Stritzel as he attempts to go around him, after collecting a sensational pass from Reus.
26'
HAALAND OPENS THE SCORING!
Reus surges clear in midfield and slots a pass between two defenders for Haaland to run on to. He gets there just ahead of the onrushing Stritzel and pokes it into the net from 16 yards.
Schulz with another excellent through pass, this time feeding Haaland's run. The forward tries to find Tigges, who's completely unmarked in the middle of the pitch, but his pass is blocked by a vital interception from Mockenhaupt.
22'
WIESBADEN HOLDING FIRM
The hosts aren't exactly being overrun here but it is largely one-way traffic towards their goal. Wiesbaden are sporadically able to launch forays into Dortmund's half, but they invariably peter out before getting anywhere near Kobel's goal.
19'
DAHOUD HALF-CHANCE
Reyna delivers a corner from the right to the near post, where Dahoud has broken clear. He goes for the header, but misses the ball entirely.
17'
REYNA BLOCKED
Schulz slides a lovely pass into the run of Reyna, who's peeled away from his marker and darts into the left-hand side of the area. He shapes to shoot from 12 yards but Gürleyen slides in to block.
13'
PATIENCE REQUIRED
Wiesbaden are now sitting deep and inviting Dortmund on to them. The away side are probing, with Reyna's movement opening up some spaces, but they haven't managed to get behind the defence since those early couple of Reyna passes.
10'
REUS GOES CLOSE!
The Dortmund captain curls a free-kick from 25 yards over the wall and towards the bottom corner, but goalkeeper Stritzel dives full stretch and tips it around his left-hand post.
8'
HIGH PRESS
Urged on by coach Rüdiger Rehm on the touchline, the home team are pressing high up the pitch, hounding the Dortmund defenders. They can't be faulted for effort, but they're not managing to win the ball back.
5'
FIRST CHANCE FOR HOSTS
Wiesbaden respond with a good attack of their own as Rieble scampers down the left and floats a cross into the middle. He finds Nilsson, but his header from 10 yards sails over.
3'
HAALAND'S SHOT CLEARED OFF THE LINE!
Reyna causes mischief again, popping up in space centrally before turning and slotting a pass into Haaland's run. The striker goes around the goalkeeper and shoots from a tight angle, but a defender gets back to block it on the line. The rebound falls to Haaland again and he lays it off to Tigges, who smashes the ball wide.
2'
EARLY CHANCE FOR SCHULZ
Reyna wriggles his way into space on the edge of the Wiesbaden penalty area and lays the ball off to Schulz, arriving to his left. He takes a first-time shot, but it's blocked for a corner.
1'
HERE WO GO!
The ball is rolling in Wiesbaden!
Kick-off!
HEAD-TO-HEAD
These teams have only met once previously, in the second round of the cup in 2000/01. The match went to extra time but eventually a BVB side featuring Jens Lehmann earned a 1-0 win thanks to a goal from Heiko Herrlich.
WIESBADEN TOUGH OPPONENTS
The city of Wiesbaden is approximately 130 miles south of Dortmund, near Frankfurt. The team are currently in joint 11th place in the third division after drawing 0-0 in their first two games of the season, against the Freiburg reserves and 1860 Munich. They finished sixth last term.
TEAM NEWS
It's largely as expected from Dortmund coach Marco Rose, although English teenager Bellingham begins in central midfield ahead of Witsel, while Tigges starts alongside Haaland up top, with both Moukoko and Hazard on the bench. Hummels is out injured, so 21-year-old Papadopoulos partners Akanji at centre-back here.
WELCOME!
Thanks for joining us as Borussia Dortmund are set for their first competitive game of the 2021/22 season away to third divisions side Wiesbaden.
