DORTMUND: Donyell Malen scored a first-half brace as Borussia Dortmund eased to a 3-0 home victory over Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Friday.

Striker Niclas Fuellkrug, celebrating his 31st birthday, laid on both goals for the Netherlands winger, before grabbing one of his own in the dying stages.

Dortmund, who face PSV Endhoven later in February for their Champions League last 16 first leg, are fourth in the standings on 40 points, as many as third-placed VfB Stuttgart. RB Leipzig, fifth on 36.

Malen, who was linked with a move away from Dortmund in the winter transfer window, has now scored four goals in his last four games.

“From the start we had the right intensity and scored at the right moments,” Malen told DAZN. “We’ve made some good steps since [the] winter [break].”

Dortmund have taken 13 points from five league games to boost their bid for a Champions League place.

Coach Edin Terzic could call on the services of several returning first-team players, including Marco Reus, Julian Brandt and Julian Ryerson, along with Englishman Jadon Sancho, who started on the bench.

In the 16th minute, Malen was teed up by Fuellkrug, who held up the ball with his back to goal and found the Dutchman, who spun on the spot before unleashing a rocket into the roof of the net.

He then timed his run perfectly to latch on to a Fuellkrug pass and rifle in from a tight angle for his ninth league goal.

The goal came deep into first-half injury time. The match was delayed by 12 minutes due to fans throwing tennis balls onto the pitch as part of ongoing league-wide protests against foreign investment in German football.

Fuellkrug scored a goal of his own late in the game, heading in a cross from Chelsea loanee Ian Maatsen with three minutes remaining.

The loss continued seventh-placed Freiburg’s poor record in Dortmund. They have not won at the Westfalenstadion since 2001, having lost 15 and drawn one of their past 16 games there.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2024