DORTRMUND TEARS WOLFSBURG APART BY SCORING 6-1 IN THE GERMAN BUNDESLIGA.
Borussia Dortmund recorded an eighth straight Bundesliga victory over Wolfsburg, as five first-half goals defined a rampant 6-1 win at the Signal Iduna Park.
Wolfsburg saw Lukas Nmecha denied by Gregor Kobel early on, but it almost seemed irrelevant, as a stunning first-half spell saw Dortmund hit five goals in 14 exhilarating minutes. On his Bundesliga debut, Tom Rothe opened the scoring for the hosts, powerfully heading home an inswinging corner on 24 minutes. Erling Haaland then teed up Axel Witsel to double the lead, before Manuel Akanji scored his first Bundesliga goal since January 2021, flicking in Marco Reus’ free-kick from close range to extend the lead to three inside half an hour.
Emre Can then hit Dortmund’s fourth five minutes later when his shot slipped through the grasp of Koen Casteels. Remarkably, ‘BVB’ later had a fifth goal, as Haaland ended a run of five matches without getting on the scoresheet, to give the hosts their biggest-ever lead at the interval of a Bundesliga match.
Wolfsburg almost pulled one back shortly after the re-start had Kobel not plucked Jonas Wind’s curling shot out of the top corner. But, despite chances for the visitors, Dortmund continued undeterred, and saw Haaland hit a sixth with a trademark finish past a dismayed Casteels on 55 minutes. Wolfsburg’s frustrations were furthered when Aster Vranckx hit the bar, although Ridle Baku did add a late consolation – just the second goal his side have scored against Dortmund in their last eight attempts.
The margin of victory all-but secures Dortmund’s UEFA Champions League qualification for next season and represents a statement of intent ahead of ‘Der Klassiker’ next Saturday, which could determine the Bundesliga champions. Meanwhile, Wolfsburg fell short in another disappointing showing in a season where they have just about secured top-flight status.
