Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Sunday scored twice in a minute as Borussia Dortmund went back to the top of the Bundesliga after a 5-0 hammering of Cologne, who fumed over a controversial goal.
After losing at Tottenham Hotspur last week in the UEFA Champions League, Dortmund needed just 111 seconds to take the lead at home.
Winger Andrey Yarmolenko fired in a cross which was headed home by Maximilian Philipp.
Photo: EPA
On the stroke of halftime, Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn fumbled a cross and defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos tapped home the loose ball to make it 2-0 at the break.
There were furious protests from Cologne, as replays showed the whistle went before the goal was scored, but it stood even after the video assistant referee (VAR) checked.
“We will not sign off on the match log and will protest immediately,” Cologne manager Joerg Schmadtke said. “That was clearly a wrong decision which decided the game.”
Aubameyang slotted home a penalty after the VAR spotted a hand-ball on 59 minutes and just 58 seconds later the Gabon striker bagged his second from a Lukasz Piszczek pass.
Aubameyang, last season’s top scorer in the Bundesliga, now has four goals in as many league games, one behind Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski.
Philipp then grabbed his second of the game with a deft chip to cap three Dortmund goals in 10 minutes.
In the dying stages, Dortmund coach Peter Bosz gave a Bundesliga debut to Swede Alexander Isak, who turns 18 on Thursday.
Cologne’s strong protests over the second goal went down badly in Dortmund.
“The only thing which is clear is that Cologne can’t take losing and if you can’t take losing, then you turn to bad methods.” Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said.
“If you do so after losing 5-0, then hats off,” he added, sarcastically.
The win leaves Dortmund top on goal-difference from second-placed Hannover 96, with defending champions Bayern Munich third and just a point behind after Saturday’s 4-0 win at home to FSV Mainz 05 when Lewandowski scored twice.
Cologne are bottom with four straight defeats, while Dortmund have yet to concede a league goal.
Also on Sunday, Germany striker Kevin Volland netted twice as Bayer 04 Leverkusen left the relegation places to go 12th with a 4-0 rout of SC Freiburg.
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