25/04 - 20:00
Erling Braut Håland scored the first goal in football’s return, as his Borussia Dortmund side headlined the Bundesliga’s comeback, thumping local rivals Schalke 4-0.
Elite level European football returned behind closed doors today, with five German Bundesliga games kicking off for the first time in 69 days since the coronavirus pandemic shut down the league.
The pick of the bunch was David Wanger’s Schalke 04 travelling to local rivals, and title challengers, Borussia Dortmund, with the home side picking up where they had left off, putting together some swift counter attacks, before Håland scored the first goal of the day 29 minutes in.
Portuguese left back Raphaël Guerreiro finished off two fine moves either side of an effort from Thorgan Hazard, as Markus Schubert had a torrid time in goal for Schalke in just his seventh Bundesliga appearance, deputising for Munich bound Alexander Nübel.
Dortmund’s football though, was so scintillating it went a long way to distracting from the empty stadium and social distancing measures, although constant reminders popped up as Borussia players celebrated goals at a distance, and substitutes were sat two metres apart, all wearing face masks.
But as far as wetting the appetite for football’s return goes, an exciting game stocked with many of the sports brightest young players will have raised fan’s hopes up for a gradual return to normality as Europe begins to emerge from lockdown.
Elsewhere, the third side involved in Dortmund and Bayern Munich’s title fight, RB Leipzig, had an underwhelming start, going 1-0 down at home to Freiburg through Manuel Gulde.
Leipzig record appearance holder, Yussef Poulsen levelled the score, before some late drama saw VAR rule out a Freiburg stoppage time winner that leaves Leipzig three points behind Dortmund, and a further one behind leaders Bayern who play tomorrow.
The Bundesliga’s most chaotic side this season, Hertha Berlin, resumed in fine fashion with a 3-0 away win over Hoffenheim that moves them eight points clear of the relegation zone, despite a dramatic campaign off-field with new ownership and a failed Jurgen Klinsmann management spell.
Wolfburg secured the most dramatic result of the day, with a 2-1 stoppage time win over Augsburg thanks to Daniel Ginczek, whilst in the final 14:30pm kick off, Fortuna Dusseldorf played out a scoreless draw with fellow bottom three side, Paderborn.
Stalemate at the bottom 🔒
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) May 16, 2020
Derby delight for Dortmund 🐝
Leipzig held ✋
Labbadia era begins ✈️
Wolfsburg leave it late 🍿 #BundesligaMD26 pic.twitter.com/GJmX9D8rvB
