Erling Haaland scored twice after Gio Reyna opened his Bundesliga account as Borussia Dortmund eased to a convincing 3-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach in front of 9,300 fans at Signal Iduna Park.
Thorgan Hazard lasted just 15 minutes before what appeared to be a hamstring injury saw him limp off and be replaced by Felix Passlack. The change did not appear to unsettle BVB, though, with Haaland testing Yann Sommer with a header before finishing a powerful run with a shot which deflected into the side-netting. Roman Bürki did well twice to deny Jonas Hofmann when Gladbach found a way through after half an hour, but Reyna showed his class to net his first Bundesliga goal five minutes later, slotting Jude Bellingham‘s pass into the far corner of Sommer’s goal as Dortmund’s two 17-year-olds combined to deadly effect. Jadon Sancho flashed a header onto the roof of the net, but another excellent Bürki save from Stefan Lainer would have been enough of a warning that their one-goal half-time lead was a slender one.
It did not take Dortmund long to establish a cushion in the second half, though. Reyna burst into the penalty area and had his heel clipped by Ramy Bensebaini, with a penalty awarded following a VAR review. Haaland and Sancho reached an amicable agreement over who would take the honour, with Marco Reus on the bench, and it was the Norwegian who coolly slotted the ball past Sommer to open his account for the season. Marcus Thuram and Alassane Plea were sent on by Gladbach coach Marco Rose, and the French pair combined to create a rare opportunity for the Foals. The 9,300 fans in the Signal Iduna Park did not appear concerned, though, as they launched a Mexican Wave to celebrate their return to the stadium, and not long after, Dortmund’s return to Bundesliga action with a win that was sweetened further by an outstanding third, with Sancho and Haaland racing forward at speed and combining to perfection.
