Dortmund’s Haaland ends goal drought to revive Champions League hopes

DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) – Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland scored twice in four minutes on Sunday, ending his seven-game goal drought in all competitions, to help his team to a 4-1 win over Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga and revive their hopes of a top four finish.

Fifth-placed Dortmund, on 49 points, cut the gap to Eintracht Frankfurt, in fourth, to four with five games left. The top four teams qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Norway international Haaland grabbed his first goal of the afternoon in the 34th minute with a penalty to put the hosts, eliminated in midweek by Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals, in front.

Werder had taken a 14th minute lead through Milot Rashica only for Giovanni Reyna to level in the 29th with a powerful shot.

The 20-year-old Haaland, a likely major transfer target if Dortmund fail to finish in the top four, then tapped in his 23rd league goal of the season in the 38th to complete Dortmund’s comeback with three goals in nine minutes.

Defender Mats Hummels’s header in the 87th made it 4-1 as Werder equalled their worst run in the Bundesliga with their fifth consecutive loss to stay on 30 points, four above the relegation playoff spot.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Christian Radnedge)