Borussia Dortmund 3 Freiburg 1: Aubameyang marks landmark game with goal

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang marked his 100th Bundesliga appearance with a customary goal as Borussia Dortmund beat Freiburg 3-1 to continue their winning run.

Thomas Tuchel’s side dismantled Legia Warsaw, Darmstadt and Wolfsburg after losing to Bundesliga new boys RB Leipzig, and their red-hot attack was once again in the groove.

Though lacking the clinical edge to continue their gluttonous goalscoring in those wins, when 17 goals were scored, Dortmund’s fourth win of the Bundesliga season rarely looked in doubt.

Aubameyang opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time after a first period of home dominance, with Lukasz Piszczek extending the advantage after the break.

Maximilian Philipp quickly struck back for the visitors, but Raphael Guerreiro finished confidently to make it 3-1 late on as Freiburg slipped to an 11th straight defeat to Dortmund.

There was another milestone for Tuchel’s men, who equalled a club record 24-game unbeaten run at home in the Bundesliga. Hertha Berlin will be the opposition as they look to set a new benchmark next month.

Dortmund were fast out of the blocks, but the Freiburg goal lived a charmed life as the hosts cranked through the gears.

Aubameyang aimed a chip just wide after Matthias Ginter split the Freiburg defence, while Ousmane Dembele and Emre Mor were electric from the flanks, the latter seeing a deflected shot hit the crossbar.

Piszczek and Ginter saw efforts deflected agonisingly wide as the siege grew in intensity, but Nils Petersen almost snatched a shock lead for Freiburg after Mor coughed up possession in his own half.

Dembele was walking a tightrope after sarcastically applauding referee Christian Dingert following a harsh booking, but the French wonderkid went back to his box of tricks to leave his man standing on the left flank and square for Aubameyang to open the scoring with half-time approaching.

Things looked ominous for Freiburg when Piszczek coolly drove home from Gonzalo Castro’s deflected cross, but Philipp put the brakes on, racing clear and finishing well after Ginter failed to cut out Janik Haberer’s throughball.

Mario Gotze struggled to leave a mark on the game as he played for Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion for the first time in 1,248 days and was replaced by Guerreiro with 20 minutes to play as Tuchel cast an eye on Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid.

Aubameyang spurned two more chances to restore the two-goal cushion, clipping the post on the rebound after Freiburg substitute Georg Niedermeier brought a stunning save out of his own goalkeeper and then blazing wide after bamboozling the same defender.

Guerreiro settled any lingering home nerves in stoppage time when Castro and Aubameyang combined to release the Portugal international and he found the top-right corner, prompting boisterous celebrations that are sure to be ramped up against the European champions.