Haaland scores twice on return to send Dortmund on top

MUNICH: Borussia Dortmund top striker Erling Haaland scored twice on his return from injury with a second-half penalty to help his team beat Mainz 05 3-1 on Saturday to go top of the Bundesliga table.

The Norwegian forward, who had been out since late September, scored in the 54th minute with a spot-kick following a lengthy VAR review over a handball and then again deep in second-half stoppage time.

The 21-year-old opened his account on Saturday with a spot kick in the 54th minute following a lengthy VAR review over a hand ball and then struck again deep in second-half stoppage time.

Dortmund goes top on 18 points, two ahead of champions Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, who face each other on Sunday.

"It is clear he had been missing in our team," Dortmund captain Marco Reus, who scored their opener, said of Haaland. "It is important that he plays because he constantly keeps two or three players occupied. To score two goals on his comeback is top. That is why we signed him."

The hosts, who travel to Ajax Amsterdam for the Champions League next week, had shot out of the blocks and earned a dream start with captain Marco Reus thumping in a deflected cutback in the third minute for a dream start. Agencies

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