Dortmund snaps winless streak in Bundesliga and Union Berlin stops losing. Leverkusen is top again
BERLIN (AP) — English teenager Jamie Bynoe-Gittens scored one goal and set up another Saturday as Borussia Dortmund fought back to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-2 and snap a three-game winless run in the Bundesliga.
Dortmund, which drew with Eintracht Frankfurt and then lost to lost Bayern Munich and Stuttgart, was seemingly on its way to a third straight defeat with Gladbach leading 2-0 after 28 minutes.
But Marcel Sabitzer pulled one back two minutes later, Bynoe-Gittens set up Niclas Füllkrug to equalize two minutes after that, and Füllkrug returned the favor for Bynoe-Gittens to score just before the break.
It was his first league goal of the season on his fourth appearance.
The 19-year-old Bynoe-Gittens was only playing as Dortmund made two late changes with forwards Karim Adeyemi and Sébastien Haller dropping out through illness.
Donyell Malen sealed the win on a counterattack in injury time.
UNION RELIEF
Kevin Volland scored for Union Berlin to salvage a 1-1 draw against Augsburg – ending the team’s nine-game losing run in the league in what was its first match since a coaching change.
There were tributes to former coach Urs Fischer and assistant Markus Hoffmann before the game. Successors Marco Grote and Marie-Louise Eta – the first female assistant coach in the 60-year history of the Bundesliga – endured a frustrating match before Volland scored in the 88th minute.
The former Germany forward fired inside the right post after Robin Knoche – who had a penalty saved – headed on a free kick from Josip Juranović.
But it was an uncertain start from Union, harassed by the visitors’ constant pressing. Kevin Behrens went closest for the home team.
Then Robin Gosens was penalized for a challenge on Augsburg’s Arne Engels, though it seemed both were going for the ball. Referee Florian Badstübner stuck to his decision after a VAR check and Ermedin Demirović converted the penalty to a chorus of whistles in the 40th.
Union had the chance to equalize from another penalty awarded after a VAR check, but Augsburg ’keeper Finn Dahmen saved Knoche’s spot kick.
Volland's late goal – his first for Union – came as a relief.
“It’s an important step in the right direction,” Grote said.
LEVERKUSEN KEEPS WINNING
Bayer Leverkusen returned to the top with a 3-0 win at Werder Bremen. Leverkusen leads by two points from 11-time defending champion Bayern Munich after 12 rounds.
Leverkusen had a slice of fortune when Bremen’s Olivier Deman scored an own-goal while attempting a clearance in the ninth, and Jeremie Frimpong grabbed the visitors’ second goal before the break. Álex Grimaldo sealed the win in the 76th.
Leverkusen has won every Bundesliga game this season apart from its 2-2 draw with Bayern in Munich in the fourth round.
REFEREE INJURED
Stuttgart beat Frankfurt 2-1 away in the late game thanks to two goals from Deniz Undav – in the first minute and just before the break.
Referee Felix Brych matched Wolfgang Stark's record for Bundesliga games as he took charge of his 344th, but he was unable to finish it because of a knee injury and had to be replaced at the break.
Many of Frankfurt's ultra fans left their places before kickoff to protest what they say was heavy-handed treatment by police.
Also, Wolfsburg beat Leipzig 2-1 and Freiburg drew with Darmstadt 1-1.
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