Dortmund rout Schalke to close gap on Bayern

Borussia Dortmund thrashed traditional rivals Schalke 04 4-0 to close the gap on champions and leaders Bayern Munich to one point as the Bundesliga restarted on Saturday after a two-month break caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The outcome of the Ruhr derby, played with no spectators present as players’ voices echoed in the empty stadium, left second-placed Dortmund on 54 points from 26 games, behind Bayern who visit Union Berlin on Sunday.

Schalke, who stretched their winless league run to eight games having scored only two goals in the process, dropped two places to eighth on 37 points.

Dortmund, who had won seven of their last eight games before the league was halted in mid-March, picked up where they left off as Portugal midfielder Raphael Guerreiro scored twice while Erling Haaland and Thorgan Hazard added a goal each.

The home team fired on all cylinders from the start and Norway striker Haaland opened the floodgates with a trademark finish from inside the penalty area, steering the ball home after a sweeping move down the right.

Julian Brandt released Hazard with a clever touch and the Belgian delivered an inch-perfect low cross for Haaland, who beat goalkeeper Markus Schubert with a first-time shot from eight metres in the 29th minute.

Guerreiro made it 2-0 on the stroke of halftime when he unleashed a fizzing low shot from 14 metres into the bottom left corner after Brandt put him through.

Hazard added the third in the 48th minute after another lightning break by the home side, finding time and space to beat Schubert as Haaland released Brandt and the latter squared the ball past a solitary defender.

Guerreiro put the icing on the cake in the 63rd with a goal of the highest quality, having started the move with a darting run and then finished it with a sublime shot after a defence-splitting pass from Haaland carved Schalke open.

Schalke became the first Bundesliga side to make five substitutions when Timo Becker replaced Jonjoe Kenny late in the lop-sided contest.

Dortmund celebrated their first league win over Schalke since November 2015 in line with coronavirus regulations, keeping the mandatory two-metre distance between them as they lined up in front of the famous Yellow Wall stand after the final whistle.