Dortmund grabs a welcome win over Mainz in Bundesliga
BERLIN (AP) — Maximilian Beier scored twice as Borussia Dortmund ended a two-game losing run in the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over Mainz on Sunday.
The victory provided Dortmund with a timely confidence boost with a trip to Barcelona coming up in the Champions League on April 9.
Karim Adeyemi set up Beier to break the deadlock in the 39th, three minutes before Emre Can headed in Nico Schlotterbeck’s corner.
Robin Zentner denied Adeyemi in a one-on-one in the 71st, only for Beier to score from the corner that followed a minute later to seal the win.
It was the 22-year-old Beier’s first double for Dortmund since joining from Hoffenheim before the season.
Paul Nebel pulled one back four minutes later but Dortmund did enough to see out the victory after previous defeats to Leipzig and Augsburg.
Niko Kovać’s team remains midtable — seven points behind fourth-placed Mainz in the last spot for Champions League qualification — with seven rounds remaining. A trip to Freiburg is next for Dortmund before the Champions League quarterfinals.
Union earns breathing space
Andrej Ilić scored what proved to be the winner for Union Berlin to boost its survival hopes with a 2-1 win in Freiburg.
Freiburg’s loss after seven games without defeat prevented it from getting closer to the Champions League qualification places. Freiburg remained three points behind Mainz. Only the top four qualify for Europe’s top competition.
Union came from behind as it moved eight points clear of Heidenheim in the relegation playoff spot.
Lucas Höler broke the deadlock in the 29th minute when Vincenzo Grifo got behind the Union defense to cross for the Freiburg forward.
But Rani Khedira replied straight away with a low shot inside the left post after Freiburg’s defense failed to deal with Christopher Trimmel’s cross.
Union remained more likely to score and Ilić duly made it 2-1 after the break with a header from Tim Skarke’s cross.
Freiburg ‘keeper Noah Atubolu – a potential future Germany goalkeeper – had to go off injured in the 58th after punching a clearance under pressure.
Union counterpart Frederik Rönnow preserved the visitors’ win by denying Grifo an equalizer.
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By CIARÁN FAHEY
AP Sports Writer
