Video ref helps Dortmund thrash Cologne in Bundesliga

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Maximilian Philipp and the video referee all struck twice as Borussia Dortmund routed Cologne in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Nothing went right for the visitors in the 5-0 defeat, with Cologne now conceding 12 league goals in four defeats.

Philipp got Dortmund off to a dream start with a glancing header to Andrey Yarmolenko's fine cross.

It was Philipp's first goal for Dortmund since his summer transfer from Freiburg. Both he and Ukrainian forward Yarmolenko, another new arrival, were Dortmund's best players in the first half.

But the home side had to wait until first-half injury time for the next goal, scored by Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos despite Cologne's protests.

Referee Patrick Ittrich initially ruled the goal out for Sokratis' apparent shove — causing the defender and goalkeeper to collide and the ball to fall for Sokratis to poke over the line — but the goal was then given after consultation with his video assistant.

Cologne's anger was exacerbated as Ittrich's whistle for the alleged foul seemed to come before the ball crossed the line.

Video assistance intervened for a second time when Lukas Kluenter blocked Philipp's header with his arm. Play continued but Ittrich called it back and booked the Cologne defender after receiving instructions on his earpiece. Aubameyang duly converted the penalty, the only encouragement he needed for his second goal a minute later.

With the injured Marco Reus Yesterday Hoffenheim-Hertha Berlin ............... 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen-SC Freiburg ......... 4-0 Dortmund-FC Koln ........................... 5-0 watching from the stands, his replacement Philipp claimed his second in the 69th with a brilliant chip over the goalkeeper after Mahmoud Dahoud sent him through.

GERMANY Bundesliga Standings

Dortmund 4 Hannover 4 Bayern Munich 4 Schalke 4 Hoffenheim 4 RB Leipzig 4 FC Augsburg 4 Hamburger SV 4 VfB Stuttgart 4 B. M’gladbach 4 Hertha Berlin 4 B. Leverkusen 4 Ein. Frankfurt 4 Wolfsburg 4 FSV Mainz 05 4 SC Freiburg 4 Werder Bremen4 FC Koln 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 2 2 1 1 1 0 2 1 0 0 10 0 5 1 9 1 7 0 6 1 8 1 7 2 4 2 3 1 5 1 4 2 8 2 2 2 2 3 3 2 1 3 2 4 1 0 10 1 10 3 9 3 9 3 8 5 7 4 7 5 6 5 6 5 5 4 5 8 4 3 4 5 4 7 3 8 2 6 1 12 0