Dynamic goal-scoring duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus celebrated Borussia Dortmund’s 3-0 win over Schalke 04 in ‘Batman’ style to continue their side’s rise up the table.
Host Dortmund hammered the visitor’s defence as Reus and Aubameyang contributed half of their side’s 31 shots on goal, compared to Schalke’s meagre three chances. It was Dortmund’s biggest derby win since 1998.
Borussia got the breakthrough when Aubameyang pounced on a mistake in the visitors’ defence to roll the ball home on 78 minutes.
The 25-year-old celebrated by donning a ‘Batman’ hat, playing up to his ‘caped crusader’ nickname, with Reus wearing a ‘Robin’ mask as his side-kick.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan made it 2-0 when he netted 108 seconds after Aubameyang before Reus robbed Schalke goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther to claim the third on 86 minutes.
“If you didn’t know Batman and Robin before, you do now,” joked Aubameyang.
It emerged Aubameyang’s translator Massimo Mariotti had hidden the costumes behind the Schalke goal.
Reus looked slightly sheepish when asked who had the idea.
“In the first half of the season we didn’t have so much fun and we came up with it a few days ago while we were eating together,” said the Germany winger.
“That was the game of the year, you can’t have a better feeling during the season.”
The victory lifts Dortmund to 10th in the table after picking up its fourth consecutive league win having started February bottom of the table.
The results: On Sunday: Borussia Moenchengladbach 2 (Johnson 18, Herrmann 81) bt Paderborn 0; Eintracht Frankfurt 2 (Meier 12-pen, 64) bt Hamburg 1 (Stieber 45+2).
On Saturday: Borussia Dortmund 3 (Aubameyang 78, Mkhitaryan 79, Reus 86) bt Schalke 04 0.