Category: Stuttgart

Bundesliga: Jude Bellingham double helps Dortmund thrash VfB Stuttgart | Bundesliga


Borussia Dortmund stormed past VfB Stuttgart 5-0 with two goals from Jude Bellingham on Saturday to notch their first win in four league games and climb to fourth place in the Bundesliga.

Dortmund, who host Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday, scored after two minutes through Bellingham and were 3-0 up by half-time. “It was a deserved win today. We wanted play with a lot of confidence and wanted to win it and we did it really well,” said Dortmund coach, Edin Terzic. “We hope to fill up on self-confidence. The early goal made it a lot easier. But we stuck with it and it was not just one solo goal but we combined as a team, won possession as a team and that is how we scored our goals.

“We know we have to keep working and not praise the team too much and on Tuesday we have to show an even better performance.”

Dortmund opened their account with Bellingham slotting in from a Niklas Süle pass for his first league goal this season. The early opener threw Stuttgart off their game and before they had any time to react, Dortmund struck again. Defender Süle was left with too much space in the box, allowing him to volley in a cross after 13 minutes before Gio Reyna, making his first start of the season after a string of injuries, threaded home the third in the 44th minute.

After the break Dortmund picked up where they had left off and midfielder Bellingham got his second goal of the afternoon, curling a superb effort past keeper Florian Müller. Another quick passing combination sliced open the Stuttgart defence, allowing Youssoufa Moukoko to tap in a Raphaël Guerreiro cut-back. Despite the defeat Stuttgart’s interim coach, Michael Wimmer, will stay on at least until the end of the year, the club said after the game.

Bayern Munich struck twice in the first half through Jamal Musiala and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to defeat hosts Hoffenheim 2-0 and move within a point of leaders Union Berlin. Bayern never had to hit top form against toothless Hoffenheim but were dominant in the opening period, killing off the game quickly.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting seals Bayern Munich’s win over Hoffenheim with their second goal
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting seals Bayern Munich’s win over Hoffenheim with their second goal. Photograph: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

Musiala put the visitors ahead in the 18th minute after being left completely unmarked at the far post. Bayern keeper Sven Ulreich, replacing the injured Manuel Neuer, responded with a good stop of his own when he kicked away a Georginio Rutter shot. Choupo-Moting doubled the visitors’ lead in the 38th, playing a quick one-two with Serge Gnabry and then turning the ball past Baumann from a tight angle.

Bayern took the foot off the gas after the break but Hoffenheim rarely found a way into their opponents’ box. “I am very satisfied with our performance. The first 35 minutes we showed a lot of passion. We could have scored another four or five goals,” said Bayern coach, Julian Nagelsmann. “We took some pace out of our game after the break which is an adult decision given the game against Barcelona [on Wednesday]. Overall it was a very dominant and mature performance.”

RB Leipzig pulled off an incredible comeback to draw 3-3 with Augsburg after trailing 3-0 in the second half. Augsburg took the lead through a Mergim Berisha penalty in the 34th minute, Berisha then laid on assists for Ermedin Demirovic early in the second half and Ruben Vargas in the 64th minute.

Leipzig then came storming back with André Silva grabbing their first on 73 minutes with Christopher Nkunku and Hugo Novoa sealing the breathtaking draw at the death.

Freiburg returned to winning ways with an easy 2-0 win over Werder Bremen while Bayer Leverkusen drew 2-2 with Wolfsburg.

Andy Brassell is away – his Monday Bundesliga blog will return on 31 October

European roundup: Napoli reclaim top spot in Serie A after Atalanta draw | European club football


Napoli snatched back the Serie A lead with a 4-1 win at Cremonese on Sunday, helped by two goals in added time.

Atalanta had briefly taken the league lead after a 2-2 draw at Udinese earlier on Sunday but Napoli put themselves back on top with a two-point cushion after their resounding win in Cremona.

Napoli opened the scoring with a penalty in the 26th minute after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was clumsily tackled inside the box by Matteo Bianchetti. The striker Matteo Politano had no problem with his shot into the lower left side of the goal.

Cremonese equalised two minutes into the second half when Cyriel Dessers got to a through ball into the box and hammered it in the net.

Giovanni Simeone put Napoli ahead again when he jumped to reach a cross from Mario Rui and headed into the net in the 76th minute. Three minutes into stoppage time, Kvaratskhelia passed to an unmarked Hirving Lozano who scored from close range. Mathías Olivera finished off the match with a headed goal in the 95th minute.

Napoli, after seven wins and two draws in their nine matches, now have 23 points, two ahead of Atalanta.

Earlier in Udine, a late goal by the defender Nehuen Perez helped Udinese to come back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 home draw against Atalanta as the hosts continued their best start to a top-flight campaign in their history.

The Atalanta forward Luis Muriel sent an early warning to the hosts when he struck a shot in the 16th minute which was denied by Udinese goalkeeper Marco Silvestri. The striker Ademola Lookman put the visitors ahead 20 minutes later after he was brilliantly set up by Muriel who sent a precise low pass into the six-yard box which the 24-year-old smashed into the roof of the net.

Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder Pedri celebrates scoring against Celta Vigo
Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder Pedri celebrates scoring against Celta Vigo Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Atalanta doubled their advantage 11 minutes into the second half when they were awarded a penalty for Destiny Udogie’s risky tackle on Muriel. The Colombian calmly pushed the ball in with the tip of his boot for his 50th league goal with Atalanta, and his 12th against Udinese.

Udinese tried to bounce back and the midfielder Tolgay Arslan had a good chance when he received a delightful pass from Udogie but the substitute’s strike went just past the near post.

The hosts eventually halved the lead when Gerard Deulofeu made it 2-1 with a superb free-kick in the 67th minute, after his teammate Isaac Success was fouled by the Atalanta defender Caleb Okoli. Udinese added another goal 11 minutes later through a brilliant header by Perez to draw level.

“We did a lot more than them, Silvestri didn’t make a save,” the Udinese coach Andrea Sottil told DAZN. “I’m very happy with the boys, they played a great match. We deserved the draw, too bad for the last chance.”

Udinese, who finished 12th last season, are unbeaten in their past eight games. Atalanta remain unbeaten this season, winning six and drawing three.

“We have to be happy with this result,” the Atalanta manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, said after his 300th competitive match in charge of the team in all competitions. “There was personality and great technique, we deservedly took the lead. It’s a match that made us grow.”

In the Bundesliga, Union Berlin’s Paul Jaeckel scored a 76th-minute winner to give his team a 1-0 victory at VfB Stuttgart and send them two points clear at the top.

Union Berlin’s Paul Jaeckel celebrates their 1-0 win against VfB Stuttgart
Union Berlin’s Paul Jaeckel enjoys the day after his goal gave them a 1-0 win against VfB Stuttgart Photograph: Andreas Gebert/Reuters

Jaeckel was left with too much space in the box, allowing him to head in off the post and lift surprise leaders Union to 20 points, two ahead of second-placed Freiburg. Stuttgart finished the game with 10 men after Serhou Guirassy was dismissed in the 82nd minute.

For much of the game the hosts, however, had not looked like the only team in the league without a win this season. They had the better chances in the first half, with Guirassy’s glancing header in the 34th minute being their best.

Union remained composed at the back and patient, grabbing their chance through Jaeckel although Stuttgart did hit the post through Kostantinos Mavropanos three minutes later.

Freiburg needed a 78th-minute goal from Kevin Schade to rescue a 2-2 draw at Hertha Berlin earlier on Sunday. The champions, Bayern Munich, are third on 16 following the 2-2 draw on Saturday at fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund.

In La Liga, Barcelona returned to the top with a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo. Pedri scored in the 17th minute and Xavi’s side held on for the next 80 minutes – there were seven minutes of stoppage time – to reclaim top spot from Real Madrid, themselves winners by the only goal of their game on Saturday, against Getafe.

In France, Lille beat Lens by a single goal in the derby du nord on Sunday evening. Jonathan David was the hero for the hosts with his penalty just before half-time. The win moved them up to seventh while Lens remain fourth.