Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Tuesday, 15 September 2015 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored two penalties as Borussia Dortmund beat Hanover 96 4-2 on Saturday to stay top of the Bundesliga on goal difference ahead of champions Bayern Munich, who needed a controversial late penalty to edge past Augsburg 2-1.
It was the ninth consecutive victory for Dortmund in all competitions this season and showed they had put last season’s disappointing performances behind them.
Gabon international Aubameyang took his tally to five goals after Artur Sobiech had also struck twice for hosts Hanover to keep them in the game. A 67th-minute own goal from Felipe put the visitors up 3-2. Aubameyang coolly converted his second spot kick in the 85th to make it four, giving Dortmund their fourth successive win in the Bundesliga. They maintain their 100% record this season, as do Bayern Munich, both on 12 points. “We were dominant against a very defensive opponent and had to come from a goal down which did not make things easy,” Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel told reporters. “There was a lot of effort and teamwork in this victory.”
Bayern lacked sharpness ahead of their Champions League group stage debut at Olympiakos next week and, despite dominating, they failed to make it count until Douglas Costa stumbled into an Augsburg defender and was awarded an 87th-minute penalty.
The visitors were furious over the decision by referee Knut Kircher, who later admitted he and his linesman had made a wrong call.
Thomas Mueller kept his cool and scored from the spot to provide a collective sigh of relief. Augsburg had silenced the 75,000 Bayern crowd when Alexander Esswein rifled in two minutes before the break with Robert Lewandowski levelling in the 77th. “I know it is hard after an international break but that is no excuse. We have to play well over 90 minutes not just 45,” said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, who also said the penalty had been a harsh decision. “Our overall body language in the first half was not good. I hope we can improve,” he said.
Fellow Champions League club Bayer Leverkusen, who entertain BATE Borisov next week, slumped to a shock 1-0 home loss to promoted Darmstadt 98, who celebrated their first league win this season courtesy of Aytac Sulu’s header.
VfL Wolfsburg, also in Champions League action with a home game against CSKA Moscow, fared marginally better with a goalless draw at promoted Ingolstadt to stay in third on eight points.
Last season’s Bundesliga top scorer Alex Meier celebrated his comeback following knee surgery in April in style, notching a hat-trick as Eintracht Frankfurt crushed Cologne 6-2 with two more goals from 22-year-old Dutch forward Luc Castaignos and one from Haris Seferovic to move into fourth place on seven points.
