Bundesliga
Paco Alcacer, Jadon Sancho and Marco Reus turned on the style as Borussia Dortmund recovered from conceding an early goal to land an emphatic opening-day 5-1 win over Augsburg.
Click here to relive the Dortmund vs. Augsburg action!
Borussia Dortmund 5-1 Augsburg
Goals: 0-1 Niederlechner (1'), 1-1 Alcacer (3'), 2-1 Sancho (51'), 3-1 Reus (57'), 4-1 Alcacer (59'), 5-1 Brandt (82')
Dortmund fielded the same team that had successfully seen off Uerdingen in the first round of the DFB Cup a week ago, with Marwin Hitz deputising for the injured Roman Bürki, and the Swiss goalkeeper had his first touch of the ball just 31 seconds in – to pick it out of his own net. It was Augsburg's summer recruit Florian Niederlechner who met Mads Pedersen's low cross at the near post to give the guests from Bavaria a flying start, and Dortmund a second cold shower after conceding at exactly the same time on the opening day of last season.
Back then, they recovered to beat RB Leipzig 4-1, and few would have bet against a repeat after Jadon Sancho sent Marco Reus to the byline, with the Germany international pulling the ball back for Paco Alcacer to tuck in from close range just two minutes after they fell behind. Julian Weigl and Mats Hummels both tested Tomas Koubek in the Augsburg goal and Alcacer missed the target, before Reus twice found Koubek a bridge too far as Dortmund laboured to find a breakthrough before half-time.
The second half begun with much less incident than the first, but the fans inside the Signal Iduna Park did not have to wait too long before they were on their feet celebrating again, as Dortmund took the lead they had threatened. Axel Witsel sent the ball low across the face of goal to England international Sancho, who drilled a low effort in off the far post. Koubek had kept Augsburg in the game in the first half, but his first error was then punished ruthlessly, as has fumble allowed Alcacer to tee up Reus to double Dortmund's lead.
There was nothing Koubek could do to prevent Alcacer from hammering in a fourth just a minute later as the hosts turned the screw, and with the result in the bag, Dortmund were able to ease up in the closing stages. Reus earned an early bath with Mario Götze entering the fray, and Mats Hummels inherited the captain's armband. Julian Brandt then added a final flourish to proceedings, crowning his Bundesliga debut for the Black and Yellows with the fifth goal, a left-foot volley from Witsel's sweeping pass.
Dortmund: Hitz – Piszczek (Hakimi 68'), Akanji, Hummels, Schulz – Weigl, Witsel – Sancho, Reus (c) (Götze 78'), Hazard (Brandt 68') – Alcacer
Unused subs: Oelschlägel, Zagadou, Delaney, Dahoud, Schmelzer, Bruun Larsen
Out: Bürki (tibia), Guerreiro (muscle injury), Morey (shoulder), Osterhage (knee), Unbehaun (knee)
Coach: Lucien Favre
Augsburg: Koubek – Teigl, Suchy, Khedira, Pedersen – Gruezo, Baier (c) – Hahn (Richter 60'), Gregoritsch (Oxford 77'), Vargas (Jensen 83') – Niederlechner
Unused subs: Luthe, Stanic, Malone, Rieder, Russo
Out: Cordova (pelvis), Gouweleeuw (groin), Finnbogason (torn tendon), F. Götze (hip), Iago (meniscus), Max (ankle), Moravek (toe), Sarenren Bazee (ankle)
Coach: Martin Schmidt