Dortmund moves level on points with Bundesliga leader Bayern

Dortmund`s German forward Marco Reus celebrates scoring the 3-1 goal with his team-mates.Pic/AFP

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.

Reus effectively sealed the result with a brilliant free kick in the 76th minute on Sunday, 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 Terzic'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.

We've put ourselves in a very good position but we haven't reached our goals yet, Terzic said.

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.

Also read: UEFA Champions League: Borussia Dortmund beats slumping Chelsea 1-0

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
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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 league game in six that Union did not win this year.

I can live with it quite well, Union coach Urs Fischer said. "We had a harder time starting the match than we imagined. At times I thought we lacked conviction. Logically, we would have liked to have won this game.

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.

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.

Bayern hosts Union next Sunday.

LEVERKUSEN LOSES AGAIN
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Marcus Ingvartsen's late penalty earned Mainz a 3-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen, enough to move ninth at the home team's expense.

Leverkusen's Amine Adli was sent off for conceding the spot kick in the 80th by hauling down Silvan Widmer, who was through on goal.

Leverkusen's scorers were Nadiem Amiri and Patrik Schick, the latter after recovering from injury for his first Bundesliga appearance since November.

It was Leverkusen's 10th league defeat and its second 3-2 loss at home in four days after Thursday's defeat to Monaco in the first leg of their Europa League playoff.

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