Borussia Dortmund have fought their way to the top of the Bundesliga – at least for a day – after four well-crafted team goals set up a 6-1 home win over faltering Cologne.
Bayern Munich regained first place with a point at Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday, but Dortmund started the international break in fine form thanks to first-half goals from Raphael Guerreiro, Sebastien Haller, Marco Reus and Donyell Malen.
In the second half, Haller had a tap-in before Reus hit the sixth.
“We started well and had the game well under control,” said Reus after his 150th Bundesliga goal on Saturday on Sky.
“I would like to end my career here, I feel great here.”
Dortmund rose eight points ahead of Leipzig and one ahead of Bayern after a quick double started their defeat.
Playing more in midfield than at left-back, Portugal’s versatile Guerreiro struck 15 minutes after Malen’s clever Muscat.
After a clever flick from Reus, striker Haller shot in quickly and Reus himself made it 3-0 after just 32 minutes with another team goal.
A fourth followed four minutes later from Malen. Defender Niklas Sule – who was missing from the current Germany squad – released the Dutch winger with a great pass but still had work to do.
Davie Selke put Cologne on the scoresheet before half-time, but the game was already over.
Haller claimed his second and third since returning from cancer treatment after Mahmoud Dahoud’s free-kick came back off the bar just before Reus added the shine.
Hoffenheim previously lifted themselves off the ground with a 3-1 win over Hertha Berlin, ending a seven-game losing streak and recording their first win in 15 games since October 14.
Striker Andrej Kramaric scored two penalties in the first half and Ihlas Bebou scored in the 51st minute as the hosts moved up from the relegation zone to 15th and Hertha slipped to the relegation spot.
VfB Stuttgart replaced Hoffenheim at bottom after their former player Omar Marmoush suffered a 1-0 home loss to Wolfsburg, while second-bottom Schalke scored a controversial injury-time penalty to draw 1-1 at 10-man Augsburg.
Bochum sit three points ahead of Hoffenheim and four ahead of Hertha in a crowded lower half thanks to a lucky 1-0 home win over third-placed RB Leipzig, whose Champions League qualifying hopes have endured a painful week after beating Manchester City soured.
