Bundesliga leader Borussia Dortmund twice came from a goal down to beat champion Bayern Munich 3-2 with substitute Paco Alcacer’s second-half winner enabling it to move seven points clear of its great rival at the top.
Marco Reus
Dortmund:
It was Alcacer’s seventh goal in his fourth substitute appearance this season and lifts Dortmund, which remains unbeaten in the league, to 27 points, with Borussia Moenchengladbach second on 24.
The result piled more pressure on embattled Bayern coach Niko Kovac. With the Bavarians so accustomed to domestic success, having won the last six league titles, it is now struggling in its pursuit of vibrant Dortmund. It all started well for the champion, which took advantage of the home side’s somewhat sluggish start, to take the lead with former Dortmund striker Lewandowski’s 26th minute header.
Reus, in sensational form this season, was brought down in the box and drew the host level with his penalty four minutes after the restart. Yet the joy of the home crowd was short-lived when Lewandowski again headed in at the far post after a quick combination for his 12th goal in nine games against his former club.
The host then laid siege to the Bayern box, with Reus and Alcacer wasting golden chances, before Reus made amends with his eighth goal of the season, an unstoppable one-touch missile that left keeper Neuer frozen to the spot. There was more misery to come for the visitor, which looked rattled by Dortmund’s speed, as Spaniard Alcacer, beating the offside trap, raced clear to chip the ball over Neuer for the winner.
He needed just 218 minutes to score eight league goals, seven of which have come as a substitute. No player has ever taken less time on the pitch to score his first eight goals in the Bundesliga.
In a hugely entertaining encounter that lived up to its big-game billing, Dortmund came out on top, earning Bundesliga bragging rights and pulling away from its main title contender going into the international break. Robert Lewandowski twice put visitor Bayern ahead only for Dortmund captain Marco Reus to equalise each time before Spaniard Alcacer confirmed his ‘super-sub’ status in the 73rd minute with the decisive goal on the break.
It was Alcacer’s seventh goal in his fourth substitute appearance this season and lifts Dortmund, which remains unbeaten in the league, to 27 points, with Borussia Moenchengladbach second on 24.
The result piled more pressure on embattled Bayern coach Niko Kovac. With the Bavarians so accustomed to domestic success, having won the last six league titles, it is now struggling in its pursuit of vibrant Dortmund. It all started well for the champion, which took advantage of the home side’s somewhat sluggish start, to take the lead with former Dortmund striker Lewandowski’s 26th minute header.
Reus, in sensational form this season, was brought down in the box and drew the host level with his penalty four minutes after the restart. Yet the joy of the home crowd was short-lived when Lewandowski again headed in at the far post after a quick combination for his 12th goal in nine games against his former club.
The host then laid siege to the Bayern box, with Reus and Alcacer wasting golden chances, before Reus made amends with his eighth goal of the season, an unstoppable one-touch missile that left keeper Neuer frozen to the spot. There was more misery to come for the visitor, which looked rattled by Dortmund’s speed, as Spaniard Alcacer, beating the offside trap, raced clear to chip the ball over Neuer for the winner.
He needed just 218 minutes to score eight league goals, seven of which have come as a substitute. No player has ever taken less time on the pitch to score his first eight goals in the Bundesliga.
Injured Godin strikes winner
Diego Godin played for half an hour despite injury and then scored a 91st minute winner as Atletico Madrid twice came from behind to beat Athletic Bilbao 3-2 in La Liga. Godin pulled a muscle in the 64th minute as Inaki Williams gave Bilbao a 2-1 lead at the Wanda Metropolitano, but Atletico’s captain stayed on as it had made all three of its substitutions. Rodrigo headed it level with 10 minutes left, before Godin’s close range finish, initially ruled out for offside, was allowed to stand by referee Jose Sanchez, after consultation with his Video Assistant Referee (VAR). It was a spectacular finale to a pulsating encounter, in which Bilbao led twice after Williams’ opener was cancelled out by a long range strike from Thomas Partey.