Erling Haaland brace blows race for UEFA Champions League wide open as Borussia Dortmund beat Wolfsburg
Erling Haaland scored his 24th and 25th Bundesliga goals of the season as Borussia Dortmund beat Wolfsburg - despite being reduced to 10 men following Jude Bellingham's sending off - to blow the race for UEFA Champions League wide open with three games to play.
Wolfsburg 0-2 Borussia Dortmund
Goals: 0-1 Haaland (12'), 0-2 Haaland (68')
Red card: Bellingham (59')
Dortmund knew that victory was needed to keep their hopes of a top-four finish alive against a Wolfsburg side sitting third going into the game. After Paulo Otavio dragged an early shot wide from 10 yards out with a golden chance, the hosts handed Haaland the perfect opportunity to grab his side the lead. Ridle Baku's overhit back-pass sent the Norway international in behind John Brooks, and he slotted home before Maxence Lacroix could make a recovering challenge. Wolfsburg responded well, taking control of the game and dictating the tempo, as Maximilian Arnold had a shot blocked before Yannick Gerhardt hit the side-netting at the near post - but the final pass was lacking.
Wolfsburg started the second half as they ended the first with another attempt on goal, with Wout Weghorst flashing a shot over from close range. Haaland was played in on goal by Jadon Sancho moments later, but his strike was straight at Koen Casteels. Dortmund were reduced to 10 men with 30 minutes still to play when Bellingham was shown his first red card in the Bundesliga following a second-bookable offence. Haaland rendered BVB's numerical disadvantage academic, though, with a superb run and finish on the counter. The home side were stunned and couldn't find a way back as the Black-Yellows reduced the gap between the two sides in fifth and third to just two points with three games to play.
Match stats
- Haaland scored his 16th away goal this season, beating the BVB record set by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from 2016/17 for the most in a single campaign. No Dortmund player has ever scored more away from home in a season.
- Dortmund's star striker is also the first and only 20-year-old to score 38 goals in the Bundesliga.
- Haaland registered the second-fastest speed of any player this season at 22.3mph (35.99 km/h), only bettered by his own top speed of 22.39 mph (36.04 km/h) against VfB Stuttgart.
- Wolfsburg have failed to find the back of the net in nine Bundesliga games against Dortmund, losing eight of those matches and drawing once more during that period, while also conceding 18 times.
- Die Schwarzgelben have won 11 out of 12 meetings (D1) since the Wolves last beat them - a 2-1 win at the Volkswagen Arena in 2014/15.
- Dortmund have scored in each of their previous 28 Bundesliga matchdays, with their only blank this term coming in the 2-0 loss at Augsburg on Matchday 2.
Watch: Sancho: "We knew we had to fight"
Line-ups
Wolfsburg: Casteels (c) - Mbabu (Bialek 65'), Lacroix, Brooks, Otavio - Schlager, Arnold - Baku, Gerhardt (Mehmedi 81'), Philipp (Brekalo 65') - Weghorst
Unused subs: Pervan, Roussillon, Guilavogui, Ginczek, Pongracic, Victor
Out: Steffen (ankle)
Coach: Oliver Glasner
Dortmund: Hitz - Piszczek, Akanji, Can, Guerreiro - Bellingham, Dahoud – Reyna (Hazard 68'), Reus (c) (Meunier 81'), Sancho (Delaney 60') - Haaland
Unused subs: Bürki, Morey, Schulz, Brandt, Reinier, Tigges
Out: Hummels (suspended), Knauff (not included), Moukoko (shin), Passlack (not included), Schmelzer (knee), Witsel (Achilles' tendon), Zagadou (knee)
Coach: Edin Terzic
Watch: Terzic: "Anything can happen"
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