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Bundesliga round-up: Jadon Sancho shines as late penalty denies Borussia Dortmund win

Jadon Sancho scored twice as Borussia Dortmund were held at home
Image: Jadon Sancho scored twice as Borussia Dortmund were held at home

Jadon Sancho scored twice but it wasn't enough for Borussia Dortmund as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Hertha Berlin.

Dortmund had only themselves to blame for conceding a 91st-minute penalty which Salomon Kalou converted as Bayern Munich cut Dortmund's lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to just two points.

Paco Alcacer, who has scored seven times in four league games, was again sidelined by a thigh injury, but Sancho made up for the Spaniard's absence.

The English teenager caught the eye with two well-taken goals after having had a third, scored with an audacious backheel chip, ruled out for offside and his early shot was cleared off the line.

The 18-year-old finally got on the scoresheet by firing from a tight angle after a great pass from Mario Gotze on 27 minutes.

Salomon Kalou hit a brace as Hertha Berlin came back to earn a point
Image: Salomon Kalou scored twice as Hertha Berlin came back to earn a point

However, Hertha, who beat Bayern 2-0 four weeks ago, proved how dangerous they are on the counter-attack by equalising four minutes before the break when defender Maximilian Mittelstaedt, 21, sent Kalou away to bundle the ball past Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Buerki.

Sancho claimed his second goal on 61 minutes after Dortmund captain Marco Reus did the work.

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Left-back Achraf Hakimi, 19, on loan from Real Madrid, threaded a pass into Reus, who flicked it past a defender to Sancho, unmarked at the back post, to tap home.

Dortmund were punished for living dangerously in the dying stages with Kalou again going close before converting the spot kick after Davie Selke was brought down in the box.

Bayern closed the gap thanks to a 2-1 away win at Mainz, with Thiago Alcantara scoring the decisive goal.

Thiago Alcantara spared Bayern Munich's blushes at Mainz
Image: Thiago Alcantara spared Bayern Munich's blushes at Mainz

The Mainz defence finally yielded when Joshua Kimmich sent the ball into the box and Leon Goretzka volleyed home six minutes before half-time as it stayed 1-0 at the break.

Just as it looked like Bayern were going to pull away, Mainz drew level thanks to some sloppy defending.

Manuel Neuer was furious after Serge Gnabry failed to close down a cross by Daniel Brosinski and Jean-Paul Boetius stole a yard on Kimmich to tap home with a first-time shot on 48 minutes.

Thiago hit the winner 28 minutes from time with a superb strike, sliding in to tap home Robert Lewandowski's low cross after burly midfielder Renato Sanches won possession.

The win lifts Bayern to second, but Werder Bremen can move above them if they beat Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.

Hoffenheim moved up to eighth in the table after thumping 10-man Stuttgart 4-0 at home.

Former Liverpool defender Emiliano Insua was sent off after just eight minutes, but the hosts had to wait until the second period to make the extra man count.

Belfodil
Image: Ishak Belfodil has four Bundesliga goals in nine games

Joshua Brenet broke the deadlock and then the floodgates opened as Joelinton quickly doubled their advantage before Ishak Belfodil struck twice in the space of three minutes.

Stuttgart remain bottom with just five points from their opening nine games.

Elsewhere, Wolfsburg ended a seven-game winless run with a 3-0 win at bottom side Fortuna Dusseldorf with Wout Weghorst converting a first-half penalty before Josip Brekalo and Daniel Ginczek added second-half goals.

Augsburg stay in mid-table after their 2-1 win at Hannover while Borussia Monchengladbach sit third after losing 3-1 at Freiburg on Friday night thanks to a Nils Petersen penalty and goals by Luca Waldsmicht and Luca Hoeler.

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