DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) -Borussia Dortmund stormed past VfB Stuttgart 5-0 with two goals from England international Jude Bellingham on Saturday to notch up their first win in four league games and climb to fourth place in the Bundesliga.
The hosts, who lost to leaders Union Berlin last week, entertain Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday with a spot in the knockout stage at stake. They scored after two minutes through Bellingham and were 3-0 up by halftime.
“It was a deserved win today. We wanted play with a lot of confidence and wanted to win it and we did it really well,” said Dortmund coach Edin Terzic. “We hope to fill up on self-confidence.
“The early goal made it a lot easier. But we stuck with it and it was not just one solo goal but we combined as a team, won possession as a team and that is how we scored our goals.”
“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.”
Dortmund opened their account with Bellingham slotting in from a Niklas Suele pass for his first league goal this season.
The early opener threw Stuttgart, who had won their last two matches in the league and German Cup under interim coach Michael Wimmer, off their game plan 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 U.S. international Gio 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, curling a superb effort past keeper Florian Mueller.
Another quick passing combination sliced open the Stuttgart defence, allowing Youssoufa Moukoko to tap in a Raphael Guerreiro cut-back.
Despite the defeat Stuttgart coach Wimmer will stay on at least until the end of the year, the club said after the game.
Dortmund are now on 19 points in fourth place, 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. Stuttgart are in 16th spot on eight.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Clare Fallon)
