Dortmund go nine points clear of Bayern Munich

Marco Reus shone as Borussia Dortmund opened a nine-point lead over Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga table with a 5-1 rout of strugglers Hanover yesterday.

 Dortmund grabbed the chance to thump second-from-bottom Hanover with Reus causing havoc on his return from an ankle injury. Achraf Hakimi, on loan from Real Madrid, Reus, Mario Goetze and Raphael Guerreiro scored Dortmund’s goals to keep them on course for their first Bundesliga title since 2012.

The defeat piles the pressure on Hanover coach Andre Breitenreiter, but his side showed spirit when Marvin Bakalorz scored a late consolation against his former club before Witsel grabbed Dortmund’s fifth goal on 90 minutes.

Hanover started brightly at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park when forward Henrick Weydandt forcing an early save, but it was one-way traffic thereafter as Reus hit the post on 23 minutes. Soon after, Dortmund leftback Hakimi swapped passes with Raphael Guerreiro on the edge of the area and curled his shot inside the post for the opening goal.

Reus had an injury scare just before the break, clashing heads with Danish midfielder Thomas Delaney as both charged into a challenge.

However, the pair shook off the collision and Reus was instrumental in a flurry of goals just after the hour mark with three goals in seven minutes. It started with text book counter-pressing when Hakimi robbed Hanover defender Miiko Albornoz on the edge of the box and squared to Reus who fired home his 12th league goal in 18 games.

Mario Goetze claimed his second goal of the season when a sublime pass from Jadon Sancho spotted the Dortmund striker was unmarked to fire home. Reus set up Dortmund’s fourth when he cut through the Hanover defence and passed to Guerreiro who netted with the opponents defence cut to ribbons.