Haaland stars as Dortmund edge Leverkusen in thriller
PSG rout Clermont without Messi, Neymar
BERLIN, Sept 11, (AP): Erling Haaland scored twice as Borussia Dortmund came from behind three times to beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-3 in a thrilling Bundesliga game on Saturday.
Both teams already had - along with Bayern Munich - the best attacks in the league (nine goals from three games), so needed no encouragement to push forward.
But the winning goal, a penalty scored by Haaland in the 77th minute, came after a contentious decision to award the spot kick. Odilon Kossounou caught Dortmund captain Marco Reus in the face with his hand as he tried to shield the ball, and referee Daniel Siebert pointed to the spot after watching replays following an intervention from the video referee.
“It’s not a real blow in my opinion,” Reus said. “What can I do? He hits me and I noticed it hurt and that’s why I went to the ground.”
Leverkusen opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Paulinho played Florian Wirtz through and the 18-yearold Germany forward tucked his shot inside the right post.
Dortmund kept pushing, however. Haaland finally equalized in the 37th with a header to Thomas Meunier’s cross.
Jude Bellingham’s goal two minutes later for Dortmund was ruled out by VAR for a foul by Mahmoud Dahoud in the buildup.
Bellingham went close shortly afterward and Leverkusen struck on a counterattack before the break. Wirtz set up Patrik Schick to score in off the
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far post before the break.
Brandt equalized right after it, somehow controlling Haaland’s poor pass at pace before blasting the ball high into the roof of the net.
But Moussa Diaby fired Leverkusen back in front in the 55th with a crisp shot from distance inside the right post. He missed the ball with his first attempt, then made up for it with his next.
Guerreiro equalized with a brilliant free kick inside the top right corner the 71st, and Haaland had the final say from the penalty spot.
“Altogether I think 3-3 their perfect start to the season by winning at promoted Greuther Fürth 2-0, Mainz won at Hoffenheim 2-0, Cologne drew in Freiburg 1-1, and Union Berlin drew with Augsburg 0-0.
PARIS, Sept 11, (AP): Midfielder Ander Herrera scored twice and Kylian Mbappe added another as French league leaders Paris Saint-Germain routed promoted Clermont 4-0 on Saturday to make it five straight wins.
Midfielder Idrissa Gueye came off the bench to add the fourth goal midway through the second half.
Clermont lost for the first time after a bright start to Ligue 1.
Italy’s European Championship star goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, made his debut in goal for PSG, whose home fans must wait a while longer to see Lionel Messi at Parc des Princes.
The Argentina star scored a hat trick in World Cup qualifying on Thursday but was rested along with countrymen Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes
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and Brazil star Neymar.
Following international duty, they could return on Wednesday when PSG opens their Champions League campaign away to Bruges. Messi could make his home debut next Sunday against Lyon.
But Mbappe shook off a minor calf injury sustained on international duty with France and he finished confidently from Danilo Pereira’s pass in the 54th minute.
Herrera grabbed a rare brace with first-half goals and Gueye struck in the 64th.