dpa
Berlin
Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin again proved their season start is no fluke as they easily beat supposed title challengers Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at home on Sunday.
Union took an early lead after Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel slipped when trying to clear and presented Janik Haberer with the easiest goal he will ever score.
More poor play from Dortmund’s backline allowed Union to engineer their second, with midfielder Haberer on hand to sweep in his second from the edge of the area on 21 minutes.
The east Berliners, who only entered the Bundesliga for the first time in 2019 and still have a mostly standing-room stadium, top the table by five points with Dortmund now down in eighth and seven points adrift.
Champions Bayern Munich now welcome second-placed Freiburg knowing victory would put them second instead and cut Union’s lead by a point after 10 games.
Dortmund, who grabbed a last-gasp 2-2 draw at home to Bayern last weekend, were far too passive at Union with Anthony Modeste out with injury and illness and Marco Reus only fit enough to come off the bench and have a half chance in the second half.
Union are now unbeaten at home in the league in 11 games, their last defeat coming in the 3-0 loss to Dortmund in February.
Former Dortmund forward Steffen Tigges earlier scored twice as Cologne ended a bad run by coming from behind to beat Augsburg 3-2.
Florian Niederlechner netted his first of the season with a fine finish in the first half for visitors Augsburg, with Tigges levelling early in the second.
Denis Huseinbaic then thrashed in on the hour amid dreadful Augsburg defending only for Daniel Caligiuri to equalize. But Tigges popped up with his second of the game on 81 minutes to secure Cologne’s win as they went seventh, with Augsburg 12th. The Billy Goats had previously lost three in a row, including on Thursday in the Europa Conference League at Partizan Belgrade.