Haaland shines as Dortmund beat Schalke on Bundesliga return

Erling Haaland, Norwegian star, was the centre of attention on Saturday as Borussia Dortmund overpowered Schalke 04 in an entertaining return to Bundesliga action.

The German Bundesliga became the first major European football league to return since the lockdown, which was occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, with teams playing in empty stadiums while social distancing was also observed on the benches and during goal celebrations.

Haaland opened scoring on 28 minutes with his signature cool finish, while Raphael Guerreiro’s brace and Thorgan Hazard’s strike sealed the win to move Dortmund within a point of Bayern Munich who play on Sunday.

Elsewhere, third-placed RB Leipzig were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Freiburg, leaving them four points off the top spot.

Aside the football on the pitch, the game was significant for the several safety protocols put in place.

The teams arrived in different buses while several dressing rooms were used and the match balls were disinfected before use.

Furthermore, the ball boys wore face masks and did not handle the thirty disinfected balls used for the match.

They were placed at strategic locations around the pitch, while journalists also put on face masks and practiced social distancing.

Haaland, who joined Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg of Austria, has now scored 10 goals in nine Bundesliga appearances since his move in January.

RESULTS

• Borussia Dortmund 4 – 0 Schalke 04
• RB Leipzig 1 – 1 Freiburg
• Hoffenheim 0 – 3 Hertha BSC
• Fortuna Dusseldorf 0 – 0 Paderborn
• Augsburg 1 – 2 Wolfsburg

FIXTURES

• Köln vs Mainz 05
• Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich
• Werder Bremen  vs Bayer Leverkusen