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Stuttgart crush hosts Haaland-less Dortmund 5-1 with second-half goal run

Football

By Reuters | Dec 12, 2020

**Stuttgart's Nicolas Gonzalez, center, scores during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020.** [Focke Strangmann/Pool via AP]

Promoted VfB Stuttgart scored three times in 10 minutes to crush hosts Borussia Dortmund 5-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday and maintain their unbeaten run on the road this season.

In their best performance of the season under American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, Stuttgart rode roughshod over the Dortmund defence.

For Dortmund, it was the worst defeat under coach Lucien Favre, who is in his third season at the club. Stuttgart's strong start earned them a 26th-minute penalty when Emre Can felled Mateo Klimowicz and Silas Wamangituka sent keeper Roman Buerki the wrong way with his spot kick.

With the visitors pushing for a second goal, the hosts, without injured top striker Erling Haaland, struck against the run of play when Giovanni Reyna latched on to a pinpoint Raphael Guerreiro cross to chip the ball over the Stuttgart keeper.

But a mistake by Guerreiro on the edge of the box in the 53rd sent Wamangituka through for his seventh goal of the campaign.

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Philipp Foerster, in his second start for Stuttgart, made it 3-1 on the hour before teenager Tanguy Coulibaly added another goal three minutes later from a Jude Bellingham mistake, with Dortmund's defence in complete disarray.

**VfB Stuttgart's Borna Sosa celebrates with teammates after the match.** [Pool via REUTERS/Ina Fassbender]

Nicolas Gonzalez, who should have been awarded a penalty earlier, got on to the score sheet by adding the fifth goal in stoppage time after yet another Dortmund error.

Dortmund have now lost six of their eight games at home without fans. They had lost just one in 32 at home under Favre with fans in the stands.

"Stuttgart were better than us in every area," said Dortmund's Marco Reus. "We are not a team that defends well, we have to say that. Overall it was a deserved win for Stuttgart and for us it was disgraceful."

The Ruhr valley club, who have now gone three league games without a win, slip to fifth place on 19 points, while Stuttgart move up to sixth on 17.

Elsewhere...

Champions Bayern stumble to 1-1 draw at Union Berlin

Champions Bayern Munich had to come from a goal behind for the fifth consecutive league game to rescue a 1-1 draw at Union Berlin on Saturday but still held on to top spot in the Bundesliga, ahead of RB Leipzig on goal difference.

Union stunned the visitors in the sixth minute with Grischa Proemel's glancing header from a corner.

It was a familiar scenario for the Bavarians, whose 17 conceded goals equal their record after the 11th matchday from the 2008/9 season under Juergen Klinsmann.

The hosts were the far better side and twice came close with Taiwo Awoniyi, who forced a sensational save from Manuel Neuer in the opening minute and in the 22nd beat the keeper but fired wide.

The Bavarians struggled to find their rhythm in the first half while also leaving big gaps in the defence but after the break, as Union fans outside the stadium chanted and lit fireworks, the visitors connected a bit better.

Bundesliga top scorer Robert Lewandowski rescued a point in the 67th, tapping in a Kingsley Coman assist for his 13th goal of the campaign on his 200th appearance for the club.

Union keeper Andreas Luthe made the save of the day in stoppage time, palming away a Leroy Sane header from point-blank range.

Bayern, who have won only one of their last four league games, are on 24 points, the same as Leipzig, 2-0 winners against Werder Bremen. Bayer Leverkusen, on 22, can take over top spot with victory over Hoffenheim on Sunday.