Borussia Dortmund picked up their second win of the Bundesliga season with a 4-0 (1-0) triumph at home to SC Freiburg on Matchday 3. Although they needed some time to warm up, the Black & Yellows were ultimately able to create 11 big chances. 

Boris Rupert reporting

Playing in front of 11,500 fans in SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, BVB needed 30 minutes to really get going in the match. Erling Haaland's opening goal in the 31st minute meant the Black & Yellow faithful went into the half-time break with a smile on their faces. Not long after the interval, an Emre Can header extended the lead to 2-0. And by the time Haaland had made it 3-0 (after a third Reyna assist), the game was all but over. Passlack put the icing on the cake by scoring with the last kick of the ball.

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The scenario:  
The Black & Yellows were unbeaten in their last 18 Bundesliga meetings with Freiburg - a longer run than against any other team. The past 10 years had brought 15 wins and three draws for BVB. Borussia had got the new season underway with a 3-0 win over Gladbach and a 2-0 defeat in Augsburg. Freiburg had four points on the board after starting the new campaign with a 3-2 opening-day win away to Stuttgart followed by a 1-1 draw at home to Wolfsburg.

Personnel matters:  
Hazard (muscle tear), Zagadou (knee injury), Schmelzer (recovery after knee operation) and Raschl (ligament tear) were joined on the list of absentees by Bürki and Sancho, who both missed the Supercup in Munich on Wednesday due to respiratory infections. Morey made his return to the matchday squad after recovering from injury. There were four changes to the starting line-up from the Bayern game, with Witsel, Reyna, Bellingham and Guerreiro replacing Delaney, Dahoud, Brandt and Passlack. The latter four were all on the bench.

Tactics:   

Although teams played in a 3-4-3 formation, their approach to the game varied somewhat. Freiburg constantly looked to get at least nine outfield players behind the ball every time BVB had possession, meaning their defensive line comprised five players. The two defensive midfielders dug deep and the three attacking players were tasked with a lot of hard running to press the BVB defence and disrupt their build-up play. On the Black & Yellow side, Reyna and Reus operated in the space behind Haaland, who was essentially the lone striker. Guerreiro frequently drifted in from the left in order to create mismatches in the central areas of the pitch.

The match & analysis:
In the opening half-hour, BVB struggled to break down their deep-lying opponents. Although they enjoyed 70% possession and completed 90% of their passes, the Black & Yellows failed to make their superiority count in any meaningful way. Perhaps the heavy Dortmund downpour had dampened their courage. In any case, sharper diagonal balls were required to break down the well-organised Freiburg defence. 

The first real chance came after Reus dropped back to rob Freiburg midfielder Höler of possession. The club captain played it on to Reyna, who slipped it into the past of the onrushing Haaland. The Norwegian made no mistake in firing into the far corner from the left of the box to give BVB the lead.

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This goal on the half-hour mark changed the entire complexion of the game. The Black & Yellows were now roaring with confidence. In the 34th minute, Reyna dribbled past what felt like half the Freiburg team before firing a shot just wide of the right-hand post from near the edge of the area. Haaland then came close two minutes later after playing a one-two with Guerreiro. Then, in the 38th minute, some heroic goalkeeping from Freiburg's Müller was required to prevent his side falling further behind. First he managed to get a hand to Meunier's powerful effort, then he got down well to deny Hummels off the rebound. BVB had only managed one shot in the first 30 minutes (Bellingham, 28); in the 15 minutes leading up to half-time they had six. 

Although it came from a set-piece, Borussia's second goal was just as good as the first. Reus found Haaland in space down the right wing before making a run towards the edge of the box. The Norwegian played it back to Reus, who looked to drive to the by-line and play it back to his onrushing teammate. A Freiburg defender did well to read the play and send the ball away for a corner, which Reyna stepped up to take. The Freiburg defence focused on Hummels and Meunier, seemingly forgetting Can, who found himself in acres of space and was able to head the ball into the back of the net to give BVB a 2-0 lead in the 47th minute. Five minutes later, Reyna played a dangerous ball into the area, but Witsel misfired from seven metres out. 

Freiburg coach Streich made a quadruple substitution in the 55th minute: the three attackers and defender Gulde exited the field of play, with like-minded players coming on to replace them. The adjustment only had a temporary impact, as in the 63rd minute, BVB had a chance to extend their advantage: Bellingham played a delicate chipped cross towards Reus, whose headed effort flew just over the bar. However, the Black & Yellows wouldn't have to wait long for the third goal. In the 68th minute, Reyna picked up the ball in midfield and played an inch-perfect pass into the path of the onrushing Haaland, who took the ball in his stride and fired an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net. In the closing stages, Haaland (78th minute) and Brandt (83rd minute) both came close to extending the advantage. In the closing minute of the match, a deflected Freiburg free-kick landed at the feet of Brandt, who played it forward to Haaland. The striker then squared it to Passlack, who slotted home to make it 4-0 with the very last kick of the ball. 

Outlook: 
International break! A dozen Black & Yellows will be away representing their countries. BVB's next Bundesliga match is in 14 days - away to TSG Hoffenheim on 17 October. This match will kick off a run of seven games in just 22 days - Lazio, Schalke, Zenit St. Petersburg, Bielefeld, Bruges and Munich, which will take us up to 7 November.

Teams & goals