Kagawa nets in ‘great game’ as Borussia Dortmund top Freiburg: ‘He smiled the whole time’

Shinji Kagawa scored as Borussia Dortmund beat Freibug on Saturday in the Bundesliga while Franck Ribery returned to Bayern Munich with a goal in their 2-0 win over Stuttgart.

Borussia Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa applauds supporters after their Bundesliga win over Freiburg on Saturday. Ina Fassbender / Reuters / September 13, 2014

Bayern Munich playmaker Franck Ribery scored in his first game this season as the champions moved joint top of the Bundesliga on Saturday, while Shinji Kagawa also enjoyed a goalscoring return as Borussia Dortmund saw off Freiburg.

Mario Gotze put the defending champions ahead before Ribery came off the bench to seal a routine 2-0 win over Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern are now equal on seven points with Bayer Leverkusen who were held 3-3 by Werder Bremen on Friday night and lead on goal difference after three games.

The Bavarians broke the stalemate on 27 minutes when Gotze drove a shot through a crowd of players after a free-kick was partially cleared.

Ribery, who has been suffering from a recurring knee injury, came on midway through the second half. The French midfielder secured the three points when he slotted under Sven Ullreich with five minutes left.

“It was important for me to be in the team again,” Ribery said. “I’m happy I could play a little today and that I was able to get a goal straightaway.”

Bayern manager Pep Guardiola reserved special praise for new signing Xabi Alonso, who touched the ball 150 times and covered more ground than any other home player.

The only down side for Bayern ahead of a Champions League clash with Manchester City in Munich on Wednesday was seeing defender Holger Badstuber hobble off with a thigh injury.

“We’ll get the diagnosis tomorrow,” Guardiola said. “But I don’t think it’s too bad.”

Kagawa made a dream start to his second spell at Borussia Dortmund after getting on the scoresheet in their 3-1 win over Freiburg at Signal Iduna Park.

The Japanese midfielder returned to Dortmund from Manchester United last month and his clever pass for Kevin Grosskreutz helped the hosts open the scoring after 34 minutes. Grosskreutz’s low cross was swept in by Adrian Ramos.

Dortmund stretched their lead four minutes before half-time when Ramos found Kagawa and he sidefooted home in what was his 50th Bundesliga game.

“Shinji had a great game,” Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp said. “He smiled the whole time – at least until he got cramp.”

In the second half, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a breakaway goal shortly after coming on before Oliver Sorg pulled one back for Freiburg.

Dortmund, who host Arsenal in their Champions League opener on Tuesday, are third in the Bundesliga table – a point behind Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern.

In Saturday’s late game, Andre Hahn scored his first goals for Borussia Monchengladbach as they crushed Schalke 4-1.

Hahn set the rampant home side on their way after 17 minutes when he was released on the right by Max Kruse. The former Augsburg attacker ended a sweeping counter attack by lifting his finish in off the post.

Five minutes into the second half unbeaten Gladbach doubled their advantage when the unmarked Hahn headed in a free-kick from Kruse.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting replied from the penalty spot two minutes later but Kruse rounded off a fine return from injury when he slipped the ball past Schalke keeper Ralf Faehrmann soon afterwards.

The impressive Raffael then completed the scoring with 12 minutes remaining as Schalke slumped to a second defeat in three matches.

Elsewhere, Japanese striker Shinji Okazaki scored twice and Sami Allagui also found the net against the team he has just left as unbeaten Mainz won 3-1 at Hertha Berlin.

Okazaki gave the visitors the lead after 36 minutes before Allagui rounded off a lovely team move with twenty minutes left. It was the Tunisian attacker’s first game for Mainz since rejoining them on loan from Hertha.

Ronny’s late penalty gave Hertha hope but Okazaki’s third league goal of the campaign ensured that Mainz got their first league win of the season.

Ivica Olic scored a late equaliser in Wolfsburg’s 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim, while promoted sides Paderborn and Cologne are both still unbeaten after they played out a goalless draw.

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