Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Double Sees Borussia Dortmund Through Against Ingolstadt

Borussia Dortmund trimmed Bayern Munich’s lead in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 win over Ingolstadt on Saturday as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice to leave him with 20 league goals.

‘Auba’ – the African player of the year for 2015 – headed second-placed Dortmund into a 77th-minute lead at home, but replays showed he was offside when left-back Lukasz Piszczek launched his cross.

It was harsh for visitors Ingolstadt who looked to have taken the lead midway through the second-half when Dortmund captain Mats Hummels scored an own goal.

Hummels’ backpass flew over goalkeeper Roman Buerki on 66 minutes, but the referee did not give the goal after spotting an Ingolstadt foul in the build-up.

Aubameyang then put the game beyond doubt by drilling home a pass from right winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan on 86 minutes for his 20th goal in 19 league matches — his 29th in all competitions.

It means Aubameyang has already reached his goal for the season having bet Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel he will score 20 goals before the campaign started.

He is the top scorer in Germany’s top flight, three ahead of Bayern’s Poland striker Robert Lewandowski.

The result puts Dortmund five points behind Bayern, who host Hoffenheim on Sunday, and stretches their lead over third-placed Hertha Berlin to 10 points.

Hertha threw away a 2-0 lead as hosts Werder Bremen roared back with three goals in ten second-half minutes to claim a point in a 3-3 draw.

Ivory Coast veteran Salomon Kalou struck Berlin’s third goal to leave Hertha 3-1 up in Bremen before Claudio Pizarro, then defender Santiago Garcia scored to level the scores.

Bayer Leverkusen climbed to fourth with a 3-0 win at Hanover 96, who drop to bottom, with Javier Hernandez scoring twice in the romp.

‘Chicharito’ converted a penalty, then drilled home his 13th league goal in 16 matches.

He has now scored 21 times in all competitions this season since joining from Manchester United.

Schalke have youth to thank for their 2-0 win at Darmstadt as dynamic midfielders Max Meyer and Leroy Sane, who are both 20, scored their second-half goals.

The win leaves the Royal Blues fifth in the table and relieves some of the pressure on coach Andre Breitenreiter after last Sunday’s shock home defeat against Bremen.

Schalke and Leverkusen’s wins mean Borussia Moenchengladbach drop from fourth to sixth after their 1-0 defeat to mid-table Mainz on Friday.

Mid-table sides Augsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt also fought out a goalless draw in Bavaria.

On Sunday, Champions League side Wolfsburg host Cologne looking to bonce back from last Sunday’s shock defeat in Frankfurt as they prepare to face Ghent in the last 16 of Europe next month.

By AFP