Berlin: Borussia Dortmund proved too strong for Schalke in Saturday’s Ruhr derby in the Bundesliga as Bayern Munich edged out Hertha Berlin to stay top of the table.
Beaten twice by their bitter rivals last season, Jurgen Klopp’s side gained revenge with a 3-1 win at the Veltins Arena, while Bayern came from behind to beat Hertha 3-2 and Bayer Leverkusen also recovered from the loss of the opening goal to win 2-1 against Augsburg.
Bayern remain top of the table, a point clear of Dortmund and Sami Hyypia’s Leverkusen, while a clear gap has now opened up below, with Hertha in fourth a further 10 points adrift.
Dortmund got off to a dream start in Gelsenkirchen, taking the lead on 14 minutes when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stabbed the ball home at the end of a sweeping move.
Schalke were looking to make it three consecutive wins against Borussia for the first time since the 1960s and they were handed a route back into the game on the half-hour mark when Neven Subotic brought down Christian Fuchs inside the area and referee Knut Kircher pointed to the spot.
However, Kevin-Prince Boateng — who had a spell with Dortmund earlier in his career — saw his penalty saved by Roman Weidenfeller and Nuri Sahin went on to double the visitors’ lead shortly after half-time.
Schalke pulled a goal back when 18-year-old Max Meyer found the net within moments of coming on. It was his third goal in as many Bundesliga games, but Schalke could not find an equaliser and another substitute, Jakub Blaszczykowski, made it 3-1 in the 74th minute at the end of a brilliant counter-attack led by Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
“We got off to a dream start in this really intense match,” said a delighted Dormtund coach Jurgen Klopp. “A brilliant second goal and wonderful counter-attack for the third adds up to us deserving this victory.”
Bayern stay top after extending their year-long unbeaten run to 35 matches against Hertha, although they were made to work for it.
Hertha took a surprise early lead at the Allianz Arena through Colombian forward Adrian Ramos and Bayern coach Pep Guardiola also lost Toni Kroos and Arjen Robben inside half an hour.
However, that turned out to be a blessing in disguise as their two replacements turned the game around in the reigning champions’ favour.
Mario Mandzukic came on for Robben in the 26th minute and equalised three minutes later. The Croatia forward then gave Bayern the lead early in the second half before fellow substitute Mario Goetze made it 3-1.
Anis Ben-Hatira pulled it back to 3-2 but Bayern held on and now know that a draw or a win away to Hoffenheim next weekend will see them equal Hamburg’s record 36-game unbeaten run of three decades ago.
Bayern coach Pep Guardiola admitted that his players were feeling the effects of plaiyng so many games in a short space of time.
“Berlin are the best team we have played,” said the Spaniard. “The desire was there but the legs couldn’t put into action what they wanted to do.
“The players need some rest.”
A week after Stefan Kiessling’s now infamous ‘phantom’ goal handed Leverkusen victory at Hoffenheim, the Werkself came from behind to beat Augsburg with Simon Rolfes and former Bayern prodigy Emre Can getting their goals.
Elsewhere, high-scoring Hoffenheim romped to a 4-1 victory at nine-man Hannover. Roberto Firmino scored twice in the second half for the visitors, while Hannover never recovered from the early dismissal of Mame Diouf and also lost Brazilian defender Marcelo to a straight red card in the second half.
