Marco Reus made his first appearance of the season and Michy Batshuayi scored again as Borussia Dortmund defeated Hamburger SV 2-0 on Saturday for its 500th Bundesliga win at home.
Dortmund moved to the third spot as they stretched their unbeaten run to seven games under Peter Stoeger, who gave defender Manuel Akanji his first start and Reus the captain's armband 259 days after the German forward sustained a cruciate ligament injury in the German Cup final.
"We didn't show our best game. But in our situation it's simply important to earn the points regularly," Reus said of Dortmund's lackluster first half against a well-organized Hamburg.
The second half started as the first ended, but Christian Pulisic fired a ball across goal and Batshuayi slid in to score his third in two games since moving on loan from Chelsea. As promised, the Belgian striker celebrated with a somersault.
Dortmund lived dangerously with Hamburg threatening an equalizer, but substitute Mario Goetze sealed the win in injury time after Andre Schuerrle played him in to lift the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper. Batshuayi instigated the move with a good pass for Schuerrle.
"We're happy we won," Stoeger said. "It gives us a bit of peace and quiet."
Hamburg remains second to last, three points below Mainz, which lost at Hoffenheim 4-2.
BAYERN KEEPS WINNING
Robert Lewandowski matched an old record as league leader Bayern Munich defeated a courageous Schalke 2-1.
Lewandowski was hoping to become the first Bundesliga player to score in 11 successive home games since Jupp Heynckes at Borussia Moenchengladbach in 1972-73, and the Poland striker needed only five minutes to achieve the feat with his league-leading 19th of the season.
Heynckes, now Bayern coach, wasn't in the stadium to see it as he skipped the game due to flu. Assistant coach Peter Hermann took charge.
Lewandowski let James Rodriguez pass through for Thomas Mueller, who let fly to draw a save from Ralf Faehrmann, and Lewandowski followed up to prod home the rebound.
Schalke refused to buckle, however, and was rewarded for its intensity when Franco di Santo equalized before the half-hour mark. Leon Goretzka, who is joining Bayern next season, inadvertently provided the assist with a wayward scissors kick.
Mueller restored the home side's lead minutes later when he beat Faehrmann from a narrow angle at his near post. Bayern held on to stay 18 points clear.
(With AP Inputs)
