Dortmund — Borussia Dortmund's teenagers Jude Bellingham, Gio Reyna and Youssoufa Moukoko scored four of their five goals as they crushed VfB Stuttgart 5-0 to notch up their first win in four league games and climb to fourth place in the Bundesliga.
It was the first time three different teenagers had scored for the same team in a Bundesliga match as the hosts bounced back in style from last week's loss to leaders Union Berlin.
Dortmund are on 19 points, three off second-placed Bayern Munich, 2-0 winners at Hoffenheim, and four behind leaders Union Berlin, who will be in action at VfL Bochum on Sunday.
Dortmund, who host Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday with a spot in the knockout stage at stake, scored after just two minutes through 19-year-old Bellingham and were 3-0 up by half-time.
“Jude at 19 to be playing such consistent football is extraordinary. Gio (Reyna) is also 19, Karim (Adeyemi) is 20, and Youssoufa is 17,” said Dortmund coach Edin Terzic.
“That was our starting line-up today. But we don't want to be satisfied with one win. We want to start a run. We hope to fill up on self-confidence.”
“We know we have to keep working and not praise the team too much, and on Tuesday we have to show an even better performance,” he said.
Dortmund opened their account with Bellingham slotting in from a Niklas Suele pass for his first league goal this season.
The early opener upset the game plan of Stuttgart, who had won their last two matches in the league and German Cup under interim coach Michael Wimmer, and before they had any time to react Dortmund struck again.
Defender Suele was left with too much space in the box, allowing him to volley in a cross after 13 minutes before US international Reyna, making his first start of the season after a string of injuries, threaded home the third in the 44th.
After the break, Dortmund picked up where they had left off and midfielder Bellingham got his second goal of the afternoon in the 53rd, curling a superb effort past Florian Mueller.
Another quick passing combination sliced open the Stuttgart defence, allowing Moukoko to tap in a Raphael Guerreiro cut-back for his fourth goal of the campaign after 72 minutes.
Despite the defeat, Stuttgart coach Wimmer will stay on at least until the end of the year, the club said after the game.
Stuttgart are in 16th spot on eight.
Reuters