Borussia Dortmund secured a 5-2 (2-2) friendly victory over third-tier outfit Rot-Weiß Erfurt early on Sunday evening. Swedish youngster Alexander Isak scored four times – his first goals for the Black & Yellows – while Niclas Beste netted the other.

image

Boris Rupert reporting from Erfurt

With Götze (back problems and fatigue after returning from a five-month injury layoff), Reus (partial cruciate ligament tear), Schmelzer (partial lateral collateral ligament tear), Guerreiro (broken foot), Weigl (fitness), Schürrle, Durm (both muscular problems) and Mor (ill) all sidelined, coach Peter Bosz had a limited pool of players to choose from, especially as all those who had played more than 45 minutes in the Super Cup final on Saturday were understandably unavailable for a second match in the space of 20 hours. Rode travelled with the squad to Erfurt but was ruled out directly before kick-off after sustaining a thigh injury.

The almost 15,000 spectators attending the official inauguration of the new Steigerwaldstadion still saw a star-studded BVB line-up in action. World Cup winner Roman Weidenfeller played between the sticks on his 37th birthday – but was beaten twice in the opening 45 minutes even though Erfurt spent almost the entirety of the first period camped in their own half. In the 12th minute Toprak, who was wearing the captain's armband, was dispossessed on the halfway line by Lauberbach, who sprinted clear and struck past Weidenfeller. Then, five minutes before the break, the veteran shot-stopper failed to gather a cross and Huth headed in the equaliser to make it 2-2.

Otherwise, all the action was at the other end. In the 18th minute Dahoud threaded the ball perfectly through the middle to Isak, who fired home to level the score at 1-1. Barely 180 seconds later, Beste curled home a direct free-kick from 16 metres out to put Dortmund in the lead. Erfurt custodian Engl denied Pflücke with a strong save in the 35th minute in what was one of several good chances created by the Black & Yellows in the first period.

image
Die Torschützen: Beste und Isak

It was a similar story after the interval, with Borussia pressing the Red & Whites back in their own half and carving out further goalscoring opportunities. Isak forced RWE 'keeper Engl into a fine save with a cheeky effort from the left wing (49) and then scored two goals in quick succession, putting BVB 3-2 and then 4-2 up following assists from Subotic (51) and Beste (60). Philipp, who repeatedly drove into the middle, also came close to getting on the scoresheet, but narrowly missed the target in the 53rd minute.

The visitors deserved a fifth goal in the 69th minute when Bockhorn outmanoeuvred five opponents, but he was eventually denied by the crossbar. There were several other gilt-edged opportunities for the Black & Yellows, who could have won by a much higher margin. The post saved Erfurt from a Neuhold own goal in the 84th minute, before Isak added the fifth two minutes from time.

BVB: Weidenfeller – Passlack, Toprak, Subotic, Beste – Dietz – Dahoud (Eberwein, 46), Pflücke (Serra, 76) – Bockhorn (Amenyido, 76), Isak, Philipp
Goals: 1-0 Lauberbach (12), 1-1 Isak (Dahoud, 18), 1-2 Beste (direct free-kick, 21), 2-2 Huth (Benamar free-kick, 40), 2-3 Isak (Subotic, 51), 2-4 Isak (Beste, 60), 2-5 Isak (Philipp, 88)
Attendance: 14,588