Augsburg 1 Borussia Dortmund 3: Comeback win keeps BVB in title hunt

Goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Gonzalo Castro and Adrian Ramos secured a 3-1 comeback victory for Borussia Dortmund over struggling Augsburg at the WWK Arena.

On-loan Real Sociedad striker Alfred Finnbogason gave the hosts an early lead before Mkhitaryan equalised on the stroke of half-time.

Castro then fired Dortmund in front on 69 minutes, with Ramos making the game safe soon after.

The result keeps Thomas Tuchel’s men within five points of leaders Bayern Munich and capped a memorable week in which they also progressed to the last eight of the Europa League at the expense of Tottenham, booking a meeting with Liverpool and former boss Jurgen Klopp.

Despite the absence of leading scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on compassionate grounds following the death of his grandfather earlier in the week, Dortmund still managed to look superbly fluent going forward as they secured their eighth league win of 2016.

The hosts, meanwhile, remain above the relegation zone on goal difference only after slumping to their seventh home league defeat of the season. 

Roared on by a vocal home crowd, Augsburg began brightly and created the game’s first opening on seven minutes when Caiuby bustled his way into the box and stung Roman Burki’s palms with a fierce drive.

The Dortmund goalkeeper was unable to rescue his side again eight minutes later, however, as the lively Caiuby got away down the left and drove in a low cross which Finnbogason side-footed home at the far post.

The high-flying visitors improved steadily as the half wore on, however, with Mkhitaryan a constant threat down the right.

Ramos was narrowly off-target with a header from Lukasz Piszczek’s cross and Marco Reus then managed to get in behind the home defence only to see Alex Manninger push his low shot around the post.

On the stroke of half-time, however, the equaliser finally arrived as Reus and Nuri Sahin combined on the edge of the box to create an opening for Mkhitaryan and he found the net with a toe-poked finish.

Substitute Markus Feulner blazed over the bar for the home side early in the second half, while at the other end, a stretching Ramos just failed to slide home another fine cross from Mkhitaryan.

With Dortmund almost monopolising possession, Augsburg were forced deeper and deeper and their defence finally cracked again on 69 minutes.

Mats Hummels’ long ball was brought down and laid back superbly by Ramos and substitute Castro rifled home from just inside the box. 

Six minutes later, the game was effectively ended as a contest when Ramos, making only his fourth league start of the season, bundled home the third goal from close range after Manninger palmed his head back into danger.