Borussia Dortmund will go into the October international break as Bundesliga leaders after a second-half hat-trick from substitute Paco Alcacer settled a thrill-a-minute encounter with Augsburg at the Signal Iduna Park.
Dortmund had plundered an eye-watering 14 goals in their previous three competitive matches, but Lucien Favre’s men met stiff resistance in a dogged Augsburg. Making his first league start of the season after a raft of sensational cameo performances from the bench, Jadon Sanchocreated the first opening of note, but BVB captain Marco Reus’ usually razor-sharp finishing evaded him. Alfred Finnbogason’s didn’t: the Augsburg striker – scorer of a hat-trick on his return from injury against Freiburg a week earlier – made the most of his one clear-cut chance to bundle the visitors ahead after Dortmund had failed to clear a Philipp Max free-kick.
Augsburg went in at the break with their lead intact courtesy of two sensational Andreas Luthe saves from Achraf Hakimi and Maximilian Philipp, and they were unlucky not to add to it early in the second half. Michael Gregoritsch forced a fantastic stop from Roman Bürki, the Dortmund stopper recovering well to deny Jeffrey Gouweleeuw from point-blank range in the ensuing melee. As was the case in the comeback win against Bayer Leverkusen, however, Alcacer’s introduction turned the game on its head.
Dortmund had plundered an eye-watering 14 goals in their previous three competitive matches, but Lucien Favre’s men met stiff resistance in a dogged Augsburg. Making his first league start of the season after a raft of sensational cameo performances from the bench, Jadon Sanchocreated the first opening of note, but BVB captain Marco Reus’ usually razor-sharp finishing evaded him. Alfred Finnbogason’s didn’t: the Augsburg striker – scorer of a hat-trick on his return from injury against Freiburg a week earlier – made the most of his one clear-cut chance to bundle the visitors ahead after Dortmund had failed to clear a Philipp Max free-kick.
Augsburg went in at the break with their lead intact courtesy of two sensational Andreas Luthe saves from Achraf Hakimi and Maximilian Philipp, and they were unlucky not to add to it early in the second half. Michael Gregoritsch forced a fantastic stop from Roman Bürki, the Dortmund stopper recovering well to deny Jeffrey Gouweleeuw from point-blank range in the ensuing melee. As was the case in the comeback win against Bayer Leverkusen, however, Alcacer’s introduction turned the game on its head.
The Barcelona loanee had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes when he stroked home Sancho’s cross to punctuate a flowing move started in his own half by Axel Witsel and bring Dortmund level. He doubled up with his second shot on goal to cancel out a smart close-range finish from Max, before the returning Mario Götze clipped in a third to put Dortmund ahead for the first time. Gregoritsch thought he had rescued a point late on, but BVB refused to give in. And with the last kick of the game, Alcacer bent it a stunning free-kick to send the partisan home crown into raptures.
