Erling Haaland strikes twice as Borussia Dortmund earn vital win over Werder Bremen

Erling Haaland scored his 50th and 51st goals for Borussia Dortmund, as he joined Gio Reyna and Mats Hummels on the score-sheet to give the Black and Yellows a vital 4-1 home win over Werder Bremen.

Borussia Dortmund took to the pitch against Werder Bremen wearing a special retro neon kit, which paid tribute to the club’s legends of the 1990s. The spirit of the club’s golden era was not only present on the jersey, but also on the fierce competitive mindset the players demonstrated right from the first minute.

Once the referee signaled the start of the game, Borussia Dortmund’s intention was clear: dominate proceedings and get the three points. Quick, vertical, one-touch passes were prominent during the initial minutes. The home side passed the ball from side to side as they looked to find gaps in the Bremen defence.

But what seemed to be a strong start from Borussia Dortmund was quickly overshadowed when Eggestein played a long ball to Rashica, who went through on goal and put the ball into the back of the net. However, Edin Terzic’s side kept their composure and continued to play with the same patience.

Dortmund still needed something special to get back into the game and it was the American Dream, Giovanni Reyna, who provided the breakthrough. The USMNT international fired a rocket of a strike into the corner of the net from the edge of the box to make it 1-1.

Only a few minutes later, Marco Reus was brought down inside the penalty box and Erling Haaland stepped up to give Dortmund the lead. The seven game goal drought was finally over for Haaland, who celebrated his 50th goal for Borussia Dortmund. After that it was clear the tide was completely in favour of the Black and

Yellows. Bremen had no answer to Dortmund’s constant attacks from all sides of the pitch. A third goal was imminent, and it arrived thanks to Erling Haaland. The 20 year old only had to tap the ball in following a deflected pass from Gio Reyna. A deserved lead for a clearly superior Dortmund side just as the halftime break arrived.

A rebooted Werder Bremen came out strong for the second half. Their offensive firepower was reinforced by the entry of Joshua Sargent and Davie Selke into the game. But Dortmund continued to threaten on the counter attack, and Erling Haaland came close to completing his hat-trick on a couple of occasions.

A tough battle for the middle of the pitch ensued for most of the second forty-five minutes. The final nail in Bremen’s coffin came in the 87th minute, when Mats Hummels headed home Borussia Dortmund’s fourth and final goal of the match.

Happiness flooded the Westfalenstadion once the final whistle was heard. The quest for Champions League spots is well and truly alive after the win over Bremen. But the work is by no means done as Borussia Dortmund are due to host Union Berlin on Wednesday evening. But they can go into the game with momentum and belief back on their side.