Dortmund rises after big win in Cologne
Donyell Malen scored twice as Borussia Dortmund thrashed Cologne 4-0 to make it two Bundesliga wins in a row for 2024 and close in on third spot.
Dutch international Malen put the visitors ahead when he fired home in the 12th minute from a Julian Brandt corner.
Dortmund didn't add to the score before the break, and Cologne almost levelled right after the restart whn a point-blank effort from Jan Thielmann was palmed wide by keeper Gregor Kobel.
Linton Maina then hit the woodwork with a superb effort in the 50th minute before Dortmund struck against the run of play when Jadon Sancho was brought down in the box.
Niclas Fuellkrug stepped up to convert the spot kick and three minutes later Malen sealed his brace when he latched on to a sensational Ian Maatsen pass to slot in.
Substitute Youssoufa Moukoko tapped in a fourth in stoppage-time to add gloss to the scoreline.
Dortmund is now fifth on the Bundesliga table with 33 points, as many as fourth-placed RB Leipzig, which lost a thriller to leader Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 later in the day.
Dortmund is also only a point behind Stuttgart in third after it slumped to a 1-0 loss at Bochum.
