Aubameyang fires Dortmund to Cup

Berlin, May 28: PierreEmerick Aubameyang converted a second-half penalty to seal Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in Saturday’s German Cup final — on what could be his final Dortmund appearance.

Aubameyang’s calmly taken spot-kick was his 40th goal this season for Dortmund in all competitions and ended Dortmund’s misery after losing the three previous cup finals in Berlin in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

His winning penalty was Aubameyang’s 120th goal in his 190th game in four seasons with Dortmund.

However, despite having a contract until 2020, this could be Aubameyang’s final appearance having said he will decide his future after talks with Dortmund’s bosses.

After Dortmund took the lead at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium through Ousmane Dembele’s early goal, Frankfurt’s forward Ante Rebic’s equalised to make it 1-1 at the break before Aubameyang turned the game.

Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel praised his team, who have bounced back from the April 11 bomb attack on their team bus to win silverware this season having finished third in the Bundesliga.

“I am spent, I must admit, after watching that,” said Tuchel.

“We started really well, then stopped playing and were lucky not to fall behind, but we dug deep and now everything is perfect.”

Dortmund clinched a 3-1 win over Frankfurt in April, but this was a much bolder performance from Niko Kovic’s Eintracht, who had won only one of their previous ten games coming into the Berlin final. — AFP