Dortmund Cruise Past Freiburg with Fuellkrug and Malen on Fire

Niclas Fuellkrug celebrated his 31st birthday in style, laying on both goals for Donyell Malen and grabbing one himself to secure a convincing 3-0 victory for Borussia Dortmund against SC Freiburg.

The win puts Dortmund four points clear of RB Leipzig in the race for Champions League qualification.

Fuellkrug, who has recently found his scoring touch, proved instrumental in orchestrating Dortmund’s attack. He found Malen with a clever flick for the Dutchman to unleash a powerful shot into the net in the 16th minute.

Shortly before half-time, Fuellkrug again set up Malen, who finished emphatically to double their lead. The goal was delayed by 12 minutes due to fan protests against foreign investment in German football.

All Goals & Highlights: Borussia Dortmund 3-0 SC Freiburg

Fuellkrug capped off his birthday performance with a headed goal in the 87th minute, nodding in a cross from Ian Maatsen. Jadon Sancho, returning from injury, came on later and almost added to the scoreline but narrowly missed his target.

The win extends Dortmund’s unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to five games and solidifies their position in the top four. Malen, who endured transfer speculations in the winter window, has now scored four goals in his last four games and looks reinvigorated under Edin Terzic.

Freiburg, on the other hand, continue their winless streak at the Westfalenstadion, extending their record to 16 games without a victory. The loss adds pressure on Christian Streich’s men, who currently sit in seventh place.

The Bundesliga title race heats up this weekend with league leaders Bayer Leverkusen hosting Bayern Munich in a pivotal clash. Leverkusen, unbeaten in all competitions this year, will be looking to further extend their lead over the record champions.

Third-placed Stuttgart also have a chance to close the gap on Dortmund when they face struggling Mainz on Sunday.