BERLIN (Germany): Dortmund’s prolific striker Erling Braut Haaland was the first goalscorer after the two-month shutdown, helping his team thrash rivals Schalke 4-0 as Germany’s Bundesliga became the first major European football league to resume.
Haaland celebrated by dancing alone — making no contact with his applauding teammates — in keeping with the strict hygiene guidelines which allowed the league to return.
“The whole world will be looking at Germany, to see how we get it done,” said Hansi Flick, the boss of league-leaders Bayern Munich.
Haaland turned home Thorgan Hazard’s low cross just before the half hour to open the scoring against Schalke. It was the 19-year-old’s 10th goal in just nine Bundesliga appearances and set his team on their way to a thumping 4-0 derby victory.
Schalke became the first team to make use of the rule change that allows five substitutions in a game, with David Wagner using the maximum number at Dortmund.
Timo Becker replaced Everton loanee Jonjoe Kenny with three minutes remaining as Schalke suffered a destruction at the hands of Lucien Favre’s flamboyant side.
Favre, meanwhile, used four substitutions, with man-of-the-match Raphael Guerreiro replaced by Marcel Schmelzer in the final moments after adding to Haaland’s opener with an impressive brace.
The increase in subs, approved by the game’s lawmakers earlier this month, was adopted by the Bundesliga to limit the risk of injury following two months without matches.
Meanwhile, Russia has announced its football league will return next month and plans to lift restrictions despite recording its highest daily death toll on Saturday, at 119.
