Dortmund Snaps Winless Streak in Bundesliga as Union Berlin Stops Losing

Dortmund's English forward #43 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens celebrates scoring the 3-2 goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between BVB Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Dortmund, western Germany on November 25, 2023. (AFP)
Dortmund's English forward #43 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens celebrates scoring the 3-2 goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between BVB Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Dortmund, western Germany on November 25, 2023. (AFP)
TT

Dortmund Snaps Winless Streak in Bundesliga as Union Berlin Stops Losing

Dortmund's English forward #43 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens celebrates scoring the 3-2 goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between BVB Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Dortmund, western Germany on November 25, 2023. (AFP)
Dortmund's English forward #43 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens celebrates scoring the 3-2 goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between BVB Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Dortmund, western Germany on November 25, 2023. (AFP)

English teenager Jamie Bynoe-Gittens scored one goal and set up another Saturday as Borussia Dortmund fought back to beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-2 and snap a three-game winless run in the Bundesliga.

Dortmund, which drew with Eintracht Frankfurt and then lost to lost Bayern Munich and Stuttgart, was seemingly on its way to a third straight defeat with Gladbach leading 2-0 after 28 minutes.

But Marcel Sabitzer pulled one back two minutes later, Bynoe-Gittens set up Niclas Füllkrug to equalize two minutes after that, and Füllkrug returned the favor for Bynoe-Gittens to score just before the break.

It was his first league goal of the season on his fourth appearance.

The 19-year-old Bynoe-Gittens was only playing as Dortmund made two late changes with forwards Karim Adeyemi and Sébastien Haller dropping out through illness.

Donyell Malen sealed the win on a counterattack in injury time.

UNION RELIEF

Kevin Volland scored for Union Berlin to salvage a 1-1 draw against Augsburg – ending the team’s nine-game losing run in the league in what was its first match since a coaching change.

There were tributes to former coach Urs Fischer and assistant Markus Hoffmann before the game. Successors Marco Grote and Marie-Louise Eta – the first female assistant coach in the 60-year history of the Bundesliga – endured a frustrating match before Volland scored in the 88th minute.

The former Germany forward fired inside the right post after Robin Knoche – who had a penalty saved – headed on a free kick from Josip Juranović.

But it was an uncertain start from Union, harassed by the visitors’ constant pressing. Kevin Behrens went closest for the home team.

Then Robin Gosens was penalized for a challenge on Augsburg’s Arne Engels, though it seemed both were going for the ball. Referee Florian Badstübner stuck to his decision after a VAR check and Ermedin Demirović converted the penalty to a chorus of whistles in the 40th.

Union had the chance to equalize from another penalty awarded after a VAR check, but Augsburg ’keeper Finn Dahmen saved Knoche’s spot kick.

Volland's late goal – his first for Union – came as a relief.

“It’s an important step in the right direction,” Grote said.

LEVERKUSEN KEEPS WINNING

Bayer Leverkusen returned to the top with a 3-0 win at Werder Bremen. Leverkusen leads by two points from 11-time defending champion Bayern Munich after 12 rounds.

Leverkusen had a slice of fortune when Bremen’s Olivier Deman scored an own-goal while attempting a clearance in the ninth, and Jeremie Frimpong grabbed the visitors’ second goal before the break. Álex Grimaldo sealed the win in the 76th.

Leverkusen has won every Bundesliga game this season apart from its 2-2 draw with Bayern in Munich in the fourth round.

REFEREE INJURED

Stuttgart beat Frankfurt 2-1 away in the late game thanks to two goals from Deniz Undav – in the first minute and just before the break.

Referee Felix Brych matched Wolfgang Stark's record for Bundesliga games as he took charge of his 344th, but he was unable to finish it because of a knee injury and had to be replaced at the break.

Many of Frankfurt's ultra fans left their places before kickoff to protest what they say was heavy-handed treatment by police.

Also, Wolfsburg beat Leipzig 2-1 and Freiburg drew with Darmstadt 1-1.



Conte Has Work to Do After Napoli ‘Melted Like Snow in the Sun’ at Verona 

Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte reacts during the Italian Serie A soccer match Hellas Verona vs Napoli at the Marcantonio Bentegodi stadium in Verona, Italy, 18 August 2024. (EPA)
Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte reacts during the Italian Serie A soccer match Hellas Verona vs Napoli at the Marcantonio Bentegodi stadium in Verona, Italy, 18 August 2024. (EPA)
TT

Conte Has Work to Do After Napoli ‘Melted Like Snow in the Sun’ at Verona 

Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte reacts during the Italian Serie A soccer match Hellas Verona vs Napoli at the Marcantonio Bentegodi stadium in Verona, Italy, 18 August 2024. (EPA)
Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte reacts during the Italian Serie A soccer match Hellas Verona vs Napoli at the Marcantonio Bentegodi stadium in Verona, Italy, 18 August 2024. (EPA)

Antonio Conte has a lot of work to do.

Conte became Napoli’s fifth coach in little more than a year when he was hired in June and on Sunday he saw his new team crumble 3-0 at Hellas Verona in his first match back in Serie A.

“We melted like snow in the sun after the first goal,” Conte said. “We should apologize to the Neapolitan people, who follow us with passion. I am the coach and it is right that I take full responsibility. In the second half there was an unacceptable performance.

“We should be ashamed, and I have to be ashamed as I am coach. Those who know me know that today my heart is bleeding, and I hope that some of the players are also bleeding so that would mean that at least we are on the right path.”

Dailon Livramento and Daniel Mosquera — twice — scored on their league debuts to hand Verona the win on the opening weekend of the Italian league season and there was further bad news for Napoli as it lost key player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to injury.

Napoli has been in a slump since Luciano Spalletti left last summer after steering the club to its first title in more than 30 years. The southern team finished 10th last season and it hoped for much better under Conte, who led Juventus and Inter Milan to the title.

However, it drew 0-0 with Serie B side Modena in the Italian Cup on Conte’s debut, going through on penalties, before Sunday’s second-half horror show.

Conte’s side had the better of the early stages in Verona and had chances with Matteo Politano, André-Frank Anguissa and Stanislav Lobotka before the home side almost gifted it the lead in first half stoppage-time.

Verona defender Martin Frese played a woefully short back pass to goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipò and Kvaratskhelia raced onto it, but Jackson Tchatchoua came flying in for a heroic last-ditch tackle.

Kvaratskhelia had to come off immediately afterward, appearing to be indicating that he was feeling dizzy.

Frese played another poor back pass moments later that forced Montipò into an acrobatic clearance.

Verona came out a different team after the break and Grigoris Kastanos curled just past the far post with its first real chance of the match before the home side took the lead when Livramento managed to get enough on Darko Lazović's cross to poke the ball into the bottom right corner.

Anguissa hit the crossbar in the 61st but Verona doubled its lead when it won the ball in a midfield tussle and Ondrej Duda played it through for substitute Mosquera to fire past Alex Meret in the 75th.

Mosquera had only been on the field for less than two minutes. The Colombian forward doubled his tally in stoppages as he was left completely unmarked by the Napoli defense.

Verona was one of only two teams to win so far in the opening round. The other was Lazio, which rallied from conceding an early goal to beat newly promoted Venezia 3-1.

In Sardinia, both Roma and Cagliari hit the woodwork and had other chances but could only draw 0-0. Bologna drew 1-1 at home to Udinese.

There were four draws on Saturday, including for defending champion Inter Milan and AC Milan.

Juventus hosts Como on Monday and Atalanta visits Lecce.