BERLIN (AP) — Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus scored to help his team join Bayern Munich and Union Berlin at the top of the Bundesliga with a 4-1 win over Hertha Berlin on Sunday.
Reus effectively sealed the result with a brilliant free kick in the 76th minute, before Jamie Bynoe-Gittens set up Julian Brandt for Dortmund’s fourth goal in the 90th.
It was Dortmund's eighth win from eight games across all competitions in 2023 and it lifted Edin Twerzić's side above Union and into second place on goal difference from Bayern, which slumped to a 3-2 loss at Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday.
All three teams have 43 points, but 10-time defending champion Bayern’s goal difference is vastly superior.
Dortmund’s win came at the expense of an injury to the in-form Karim Adeyemi, who scored and then got injured while setting up the second goal. The Germany forward went off in the 35th minute with what looked like a left ankle injury.
The 21-year-old Adeyemi had opened the scoring with his heel eight minutes before. He then seemed to twist his ankle when he delivered a perfectly weighted cross for Donyell Malen to score Dortmund’s second.
Lucas Tousart hammered the ball in off the crossbar for the visitors right after the break, but it was as good as it got for Hertha, which dropped to second from bottom after its fifth defeat from six games this year.
UNION'S MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Union Berlin missed the chance to capitalize on Bayern's defeat and take over as leader earlier Sunday after being held 0-0 by last-place Schalke.
It was Schalke’s fourth consecutive 0-0 draw and the first game league game in six that Union did not win this year.
Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann stopped Rani Khedira’s effort toward the end of a first half of few highlights as both teams frustrated each other.
Union coach Urs Fischer brought on speedy Dutch forward Sheraldo Becker with just over half an hour of normal time remaining and American forward Jordan Pefok shortly afterward but neither could force a breakthrough against Schalke’s stubborn defense.
Bayer Leverkusen hosted Mainz later Sunday.
Bayern hosts Union next Sunday.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
