Alcácer scores again as Dortmund routs Leverkusen 4-0
BERLIN (AP) — Paco Alcácer warmed up for the visit of his former club Barcelona by continuing his remarkable scoring streak as Borussia Dortmund beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Alcácer, whose loan deal from Barcelona was made permanent in November, claimed his fifth goal in four league games in the 28th minute and produced a dummy which saw Marco Reus score off Jadon Sancho’s cross in the 50th.
The striker has scored in each of his eight competitive appearances this season, claiming seven goals for Dortmund — including in the season-opening German Supercup — and three in two games for Spain.
Raphaël Guerreiro sealed the win before Reus claimed his second goal to celebrate his 100th win with Dortmund in the final minute.
Dortmund conceded in each of its previous three league games and was looking to bounce back after a surprise 3-1 loss at Union Berlin.
“It was important to keep a clean sheet again. And now against Barcelona? These are the best sides of football,” Dortmund midfielder Thomas Delaney said.
Dortmund hosts Barcelona in their Champions League opener on Tuesday.
Axel Witsel was back into Dortmund’s starting lineup after recovering from a groin injury. The influential Belgian midfielder missed the side’s defeat in Berlin. Manuel Akanji also returned, while Thorgan Hazard came off the bench for his 150th league appearance.
“The team stayed calm and didn’t make any major mistakes,” Dortmund coach Lucien Favre said. “It was important not to concede.”
THREE PENALTIES, TWO RED CARDS AND VAR
The first few minutes of Werder Bremen’s 2-1 win at Union Berlin were spent on VAR checks after a second-minute penalty decision. Davy Klaassen had to wait till the fifth before opening the scoring from the spot.
TV replays showed it was a questionable call, with Klaassen apparently already falling before Christopher Lenz made contact.
VAR was required again in the 12th to check whether Christian Groß handled the ball at the other end, before Sebastian Andersson duly equalized from the spot in the 14th.
The visitors were awarded another penalty early in the second half, saved by Rafal Gikiewicz, but the Union ‘keeper was helpless to prevent Niclas Füllkrug from scoring off the resultant corner in the 55th.
Referee Tobias Welz was kept busy in a hectic finale, sending off Union defender Neven Subotic and Bremen’s Nuri Sahin, both former Dortmund teammates, and booking visiting coach Florian Kohfeldt.
“There wasn’t any football played,” said Union coach Urs Fischer, who criticized the application of VAR. “It will make football fairer, but that was definitely too much today. Too much discussion.”
NETZER’S BIRTHDAY
Alassane Plea’s 14th-minute strike was enough for Borussia Mönchengladbach to mark club icon Günter Netzer’s 75th birthday with a 1-0 Rhine derby win at promoted Cologne.
Mainz defeated Hertha Berlin 2-1 at home, and Augsburg enjoyed a 2-1 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Bayern Munich aims to end Leipzig’s perfect start to the season in the late game.
