Seven minutes after returning from a month-long injury, Erling Haaland scored the winner for Borussia Dortmund to move atop the Bundesliga with a 3-1 victory at Wolfsburg on Saturday.
Haaland hadn’t played since October 19 after he suffered muscular problems during Dortmund’s loss to Ajax in the Champions League. However, coach Marco Rose delighted Dortmund fans on Friday when he said Haaland may return sooner than originally thought and he followed through by bringing on the Norwegian forward in the 72nd minute in Wolfsburg.
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Haaland forced Wolfsburg goalkeeper Pavao Pervan into making a save before scoring with an acrobatic finish to Julian Brandt’s cross in the 81st minute. Haaland scored now has 50 goals in 50 Bundesliga appearances.
Dortmund were missing crucial midfielder Jude Bellingham due to a knee injury, but the visitors came back strongly after conceding an early goal.
In the second minute, Wout Weghorst scored when he got his chest to Ridle Baku’s cross. It was Wolfsburg’s first league goal against Dortmund in ten games, dating back to a 5-1 loss in 2016.
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Dortmund equalised in the 35th minute when Emre Can scored a penalty. Maxence Lacroix was booked for a clumsy challenge on Marco Reus, and the spot kick was given. The Dortmund captain required treatment for his right ankle, but he was able to play on.
In the 55th minute, Reus was able to set up Donyell Malen for his second Bundesliga goal in as many games. Haaland replaced the Dutch attacker, who was making his sixth Bundesliga appearance of the season. With his tenth goal, he was ecstatic.
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After the win, Dortmund have gone to the top of the table momentarily but defending champion Bayern Munich can restore its previous one-point lead with a win over Arminia Bielefeld tonight. Next week Dortmund will host Bayern for one of the league’s most anticipated games of the season.
With inputs from the Associated Press