Dortmund blank Cologne, go atop

Berlin, Sept. 18: PierreEmerick Aubameyang scored twice in a minute as Borussia Dortmund went back atop of the Bundesliga on Sunday after a 5-0 hammering of Cologne, who fumed over a controversial goal.

After losing at Tottenham Hotspur in midweek in the Champions League, Dortmund needed just 111 seconds to take the lead at home.

Winger Andrey Yarmolenko fired in a cross which was headed home by fellow new-signing Maximilian Philipp.

On the stroke of halftime, Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn fumbled a cross and defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos tapped home the loose ball to make it 2-0 at the break.

There were furious protests from Cologne, as replays showed the whistle went before the goal was scored, but it stood even after the video assistant referee (VAR) checked.

“We will not sign off on the match log and will protest immediately,” said Cologne’s manager Joerg Schmadtke.

“That was clearly a wrong decision which decided the game,” he added.

Aubameyang slotted home a penalty after the VAR spotted a hand-ball on 59 minutes and just 58 seconds later the Gabon striker bagged his second from a Lukasz Piszczek’s pass. HOT-SHOTS BATTLE Aubameyang now has four goals in as many league games, one behind Robert Lewandowski.

Philipp then grabbed his second of the game with a deft chip to cap three Dortmund goals in 10 minutes.

In the dying stages, Dortmund coach Peter Bosz gave a Bundesliga debut to Swedish wunderkind Alexander Isak, who turns 18 on Thursday.

Cologne’s strong protests over the second goal went down badly in the Dortmund camp.

“The only thing which is clear is that Cologne can’t take losing,” said Borussia’s CEO HansJoachim Watzke.