Dortmund routs Leverkusen in Bundesliga, Bayern lead grows
BERLIN (AP) — Borussia Dortmund routed Bayer Leverkusen 6-2 in the Bundesliga while Bayern Munich stretched its lead on Saturday.
Ousmane Dembele scored one and set up another, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang grabbed two to take his tally to a league-leading 21 and overtake Robert Lewandowski's league total for Dortmund.
Dembele fired the home side into an early lead and Aubameyang made it 2-0 from close range midway through the first half. It was his 74th Bundesliga goal for Dortmund, matching Lewandowski's tally. Aubameyang achieved the feat in 117 games, while Lewandowski played 131 for Dortmund before his switch to Bayern.
Dortmund suffered a blow before the break when Marco Reus went off with a thigh injury. Thomas Tuchel said he was definitely out of Wednesday's Champions League game at home to Benfica. Dortmund faces a 1-0 deficit after the first leg of their last-16 tie in Portugal.
Another blow followed after the interval, when Kevin Volland pulled one back for the visitors.
But Dortmund, which missed chances to score on counterattacks, finally scored again through Aubameyang, set up at the far post by the busy Dembele.
Wendell pulled one back with a fine free kick to make it exciting again, before Christian Pulisic sealed it with his third of the season. Andre Schuerrle scored a late penalty and Raphael Guerreiro gave the score a flattering look as Dortmund consolidated third place.
The result increased the pressure on Roger Schmidt after three straight defeats in Leverkusen's worst season for 14 years.
"The Champions League is gone," midfielder Lars Bender said. "The way we've been playing the last months, we wouldn't have deserved it."
COLOGNE 0, BAYERN MUNICH 3
Franck Ribery wrapped up a convincing win that moved Bayern seven points clear of Leipzig, held 2-2 at Augsburg on Friday.
Javi Martinez got the visitors underway with his first goal of the season.
Thomas Mueller set up Juan Bernat to make it 2-0 with a deflected shot, and Ribery claimed his first goal since returning from a thigh injury in the last minute, set up by Bernat.
Bayern takes a 5-1 advantage against Arsenal into their Champions League last-16 second leg on Tuesday.
HOFFENHEIM 5, INGOLSTADT 2
Sebastian Rudy, who is joining Bayern next season, fired Hoffenheim ahead with a fine strike in off the post inside 20 minutes. Almog Cohen equalized before the break, and an own-goal from Niklas Suele on the hour-mark gave the visitors an unlikely lead.
Rudy set up Adam Szalai for an immediate response, and Andrej Kramaric put the home side in front before Szalai and Benjamin Huebner completed the scoring for Hoffenheim to consolidate fourth.
MAINZ 1, WOLFSBURG 1
Andries Jonker's tenure of Wolfsburg got off to a good start thanks to a familiar face.
Mario Gomez was lurking at the back post to score after a corner with 20 minutes played. Gomez, who played under Jonker in his five games as interim coach at Bayern, has 10 goals in six games with the Dutchman in charge.
Jhon Cordoba equalized minutes later after good work from Levin Oztunali.
Jonker was appointed on Monday after Valerien Ismael was fired the day before. He is Wolfsburg's third coach of the season.
WERDER BREMEN 2, DARMSTADT 0
A late Max Kruse penalty and an injury-time strike from the Werder Bremen forward were enough to sink bottom-side Darmstadt on coach Torsten Frings' return to his former side.
Bremen climbed two points above Wolfsburg, which is just one place above the relegation zone. Darmstadt was 11 points from safety.
BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH 4, SCHALKE 2
Midfielder Fabian Johnson scored a brace as 'Gladbach jumped above Leverkusen into eighth place.
