BERLIN: Forward Nic­las Fuellkrug scored a hat-trick to earn hosts Borussia Dortmund a 3-1 victory over VfL Bochum in their Ruhr valley derby on Sunday and lift them into the top four with their third straight league win this year.

Germany striker Fuell­krug opened the scoring from the spot just six minutes in but Bochum equalised late in the first half thanks to an own goal from Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck.

Fuellkrug headed Dort­mund back into the lead midway through the second period, before adding another from the spot in injury time.

The result moves Dortmund into fourth place on 36 points, leaving RB Leipzig in fifth on 33. Dortmund are just one point behind third-placed VfB Stuttgart.

Marie Louise-Eta, a female member of the coaching staff at Union Berlin, played a new role as the team claimed a 1-0 home win over rock-bottom Darmstadt, lifting them five points clear of the relegation play-off place.

Union played with head coach Nenad Bjelica watching from the stands due to a three-match suspension for pushing Leroy Sane in the face during Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich.

Eta was in the dug-out working alongside interim coach Danijel Jumic, and took charge of pre-game and post-match media duties in place of Bjelica.

Benedict Hollerbach made the difference for the home side, controlling an Andras Schaefer pass and shooting through the legs of ’keeper Marcel Schuhen to open the scoring after 62 minutes.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary in the dock
Updated 22 Feb, 2025

Judiciary in the dock

Recent developments in SC and IHC certainly seem to have lent credibility to perception that judges perceived as a 'threat’ are being sidelined.
Paying taxes
22 Feb, 2025

Paying taxes

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s ‘hard talk’ at a retail business conference on Thursday was long ...
Rules for thee
22 Feb, 2025

Rules for thee

IT was a year ago when, in the tumultuous aftermath of the 2024 elections, the state banned X. Today, it remains...
Ukraine initiative
Updated 21 Feb, 2025

Ukraine initiative

Whether Trump’s Ukraine peace initiative succeeds or not, it will be difficult for Kyiv, Europe to face Russian military machine without US support.
High cost of SOEs
21 Feb, 2025

High cost of SOEs

THERE are losses and then some. The finance ministry’s latest overview of the federally owned state enterprises...
Poor impression
21 Feb, 2025

Poor impression

RECENT developments in the Senate have provided cause for concern on how parliamentary business is being conducted....