Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus and Paco Alcacer teamed up to great effect once again as the trio brilliantly engineered a 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday that ended Die Werkself’s unbeaten start to the season.
It was the sort of sunny afternoon on which a siesta is welcome, and with Barcelona arriving in midweek for their UEFA Champions League opener, Dortmund appeared happy to snooze their way into the game. Karim Bellarabi, who scored the Bundesliga’s fastest goal against BVB three years ago, was alert, and the Germany international twice fired goalwards early on. That was the cue for the hosts to rise from their slumber, and how! A deft Alcacer flick played in Reus — his low drive was brilliantly parried by Lukas Hradecky, who then outdid himself in miraculously halting Julian Brandt’s follow-up. When Alcacer met Achraf Hakimi’s cross with a crisp sidefoot volley, the Finland international had to admit defeat, however. Hakimi would have added a second but for another Hradecky stop that followed a brave Jonathan Tah block to a Thomas Delaney close-range shot.
Leverkusen ended the first half clinging on, but might have equalised in the opening seconds after the break through half-time substitute Leon Bailey. Bellarabi then fired wide before Leverkusen were quite brilliantly undone: Sancho provided the pass but Alcacer’s dummy was also worthy of an assist as it allowed Reus the space and time to steer a shot into the far corner. Bailey headed wide by means of a riposte, but Leverkusen, who had picked up seven of a possible nine points before kick-off under ex-BVB boss Peter Bosz, could find no answer to Dortmund’s irrepressible front line. Raphael Guerreiro and Reus gave the scoreline a convincing gloss late on as Lucien Favre’s men warmed up for their foray into European competition in ideal style.
