BERLIN: Erling Haaland scored twice as Borussia Dortmund came from behind three times to beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-3 in a thrilling Bundesliga game on Saturday.
Both teams already had — along with Bayern Munich — the best attacks in the league (nine goals from three games), so needed no encouragement to push forward.
But the winning goal, a penalty scored by Haaland in the 77th minute, came after a contentious decision to award the spot kick. Odilon Kossounou caught Dortmund captain Marco Reus in the face with his hand as he tried to shield the ball, and referee Daniel Siebert pointed to the spot after watching replays following an intervention from the video referee.
“It’s not a real blow in my opinion,” Reus said. “What can I do? He hits me and I noticed it hurt and that’s why I went to the ground.”
Leverkusen opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Paulinho played Florian Wirtz through and the 18-year-old Germany forward tucked his shot inside the right post.
Dortmund kept pushing, however. Haaland finally equalized in the 37th with a header to Thomas Meunier’s cross.
Jude Bellingham’s goal two minutes later for Dortmund was ruled out by VAR for a foul by Mahmoud Dahoud in the buildup.
Bellingham went close shortly afterward and Leverkusen struck on a counterattack before the break. Wirtz set up Patrik Schick to score in off the far post before the break.
Brandt equalized right after it, somehow controlling Haaland’s poor pass at pace before blasting the ball high into the roof of the net.
But Moussa Diaby fired Leverkusen back in front in the 55th with a crisp shot from distance inside the right post. He missed the ball with his first attempt, then made up for it with his next.
Guerreiro equalized with a brilliant free kick inside the top right corner the 71st, and Haaland had the final say from the penalty spot.
“Altogether I think 3-3 would have been fair,” Leverkusen midfielder Robert Andrich said.
Wolfsburg maintained its perfect start to the season by winning at promoted Greuther Fürth 2-0, Mainz won at Hoffenheim 2-0, Cologne drew in Freiburg 1-1, and Union Berlin drew with Augsburg 0-0.
Leipzig hosted Bayern Munich late in a clash between last season’s top two.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
