Updated16 avril 2022, 18:49
Thanks in particular to a goal from its Swiss defender, the BVB crushed Wolfsburg (6-1) and took a big step towards qualifying for the Champions League.
Manuel Akanji scored his first goal of the season once morest Wolfsburg.
AFP
Borussia Dortmund of Gregor Kobel and Manuel Akanji outclassed Wolfsburg on Saturday (6-1), during the 30th day of the Bundesliga, and almost guaranteed its place in the Champions League next season. With this broad success, Dortmund prepared the “Klassiker” perfectly once morest Bayern Munich in a week. Borussia, 2nd with 63 points, is temporarily approaching 6 points from the Bavarian leader, traveling to Bielefeld on Sunday, even if a tenth consecutive title seems promised to the “Rekordmeister”.
A stadium bathed in sunshine, six goals including five in a quarter of an hour: the 82,000 spectators at Signal Iduna Park enjoyed a fine followingnoon. Despite a decimated workforce (10 absent), their team put Wolfsburg Wolves (13th in the standings) through an ordeal by scoring five goals in a quarter of an hour during the first period. The formation of Marco Rose opened the scoring by Tom Rothe, 17, tenured for the first time in the Bundesliga (1-0, 24th). Axel Witsel doubled the bet in stride (2-0, 26th), then Manuel Akanji came to increase the score (3-0, 29th), imitated by Emre Can (4-0, 34th). The Swiss defender scored his first goal of the season, and his fourth in BVB colours, before giving up his place in the 65th minute.
Just before the break, Erling Haaland, who had not scored since the end of January, found his way back to the net (5-0, 38th), thanks to a service from Reus, author of his 14th assist of the season. The Norwegian striker did it once more in the second period (6-0, 54th). Despite a season disrupted by injuries, he has 18 league goals.
Ridle Baku reduced the score late in the game for Wolfsburg (6-1, 81st). On the Wolves side, Kevin Mbabu played the second period, while Renato Steffen remained on the bench.
In the other followingnoon matches, Freiburg outclassed Bochum (3-0) to temporarily return to fourth place occupied by Leipzig, traveling to Leverkusen on Sunday. Silvan Widmer’s Mainz might not do better than 0-0 at home once morest Stuttgart and Hertha Berlin returned victorious from Augsburg (1-0). The entries of Ruben Vargas (in the 56th) and Andi Zeqiri (in the 84th) were not enough for the local team to reverse the trend.
Bayern will try to recover their nine-point lead over Dortmund on Sunday when they travel to the poorly ranked Arminia Bielefeld (3:30 p.m.). Ousted in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday by Villarreal, Robert Lewandowski and his teammates will have to make up for their surprising European disappointment.
(AFP/Sport Center)
