Sebastien Haller scored a brace as Borussia Dortmund beat 10-man Augsburg 3-0 on Sunday to go top of the Bundesliga table.
The win, which was spearheaded by Haller has given Dortmund a better control of the title race with just one rounds of matches to go.
Haller scored the first goal of the match in the 58th minute after a goalless first half in which Felix Uduokhai was sent off for the hosts.
With his help, Dortmund moved two points ahead of Bayern Munich, who lost 3-1 at home to RB Leipzig last Saturday.
Edin Terzic’s men will win their first title since the 2011-12 season under Jürgen Klopp should they beat Mainz at home next Saturday.
Title rivals Bayern will also travel to Cologne hoping for Dortmund to slip up their lead so they can extend their run of consecutive Bundesliga titles to 10.
Dortmund coach Terzic said after they match: “This has not been the season of missed chances but the season of setbacks.”
“It is now about taking that last step. This year we are closer than we have been for a long time. We will sleep six more times, step on the gas and hopefully get to hold the Bundesliga trophy in our hands, he concluded”
In the encounter with Augsburg, Dortmund had 16 shots on goal in a one-sided first half with Niklas Süle hitting the crossbar.
The hosts needed a win to secure their top-flight finish but suffered a major blow in the 38th minute, when Uduokhai was sent off for bringing down Donyell Malen to deny a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Emre Can also hit the woodwork for the visitors after the second half resumed but they eased down when Sebastien Haller scored.
Haller, who had missed much of the season after being diagnosed with testicular cancer last year, ensured Dortmund got all three points as he scored on the rebound with six minutes to go.
The Ivorian who underwent surgery and chemotherapy before his return to action in 2023, said: “If someone told me six months ago that I would be in this situation today I would not have believed them.”
“We have invested a lot and now we have a chance to achieve something big. There is no magic. It is about investing. Then it comes”.
Sebastien Haller
Sébastien Romain Teddy Haller who plays as a striker for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Ivory Coast national team, was born on June 22, 1994.
The Ivorian began his professional career at Auxerre in France and in 2015, he moved on loan to Dutch Eredivisie team Utrecht before signing a permanent deal.
Haller later moved to German team Eintracht Frankfurt two years later, where he won the DFB-Pokal in 2018.
West Ham United of the English Premier League signed him him for a club-record fee of €49.8 million (£45 million) a year later.
Before moving to Borussia Dortmund for an initial €31 million, he also went to Ajax where he won the Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup in his first half of the season.
What Happened To Haller?
Sebastien Haller left the team’s training camp in Switzerland to receive treatment after receiving a testicular tumor diagnosis.
The 29-year-old reported feeling sick after training in July 2022 and had to leave training camp.
The Ivory Coast International was scheduled for additional testing at a specialized medical facility after further investigations showed the presence of a tumor.
Haller replaced Erling Haaland in last summer’s transfer from Ajax to Dortmund after the Norway international joined Manchester City.
