Haaland hits hat-trick as holders Dortmund march on in German Cup

Since joining in January 2020, the Norway goal-machine has scored 60 times in the same number of games

BERLIN:

Erling Braut Haaland hit a hat-trick as holders Borussia Dortmund eased past minnows Wehen Wiesbaden with a 3-0 win in the first round of the German Cup on Saturday.

Since joining in January 2020, the Norway goal-machine has scored 60 times in the same number of Dortmund games, including seven goals in six German Cup matches.

A week before the new Bundesliga season kicks off, Dortmund breezed into the next round of the cup.

They were missing defender Thomas Meunier and forward Julian Brandt, both quarantined after positive test for Covid-19, but the visitors were too strong for Wiesbaden.

Haaland, 21, scored twice when Dortmund won last season's German Cup final and again showed clinical finishing at Wiesbaden, who play in Germany's third league tier.

He picked up where he left off in May's final, putting the visitors ahead on 27 minutes when he darted onto a Marco Reus through pass and fired home.

Just four minutes later, he converted a penalty won after being fouled by the home goalkeeper.

It was 2-0 at the break, but Haaland wrapped up his treble when he slotted home Giovanni Reyna's pass on 51 minutes to maintain his phenomenal scoring rate.

Earlier, Jesse Marsch made a succesful start in his maiden competitive game as head coach of last season's runners-up RB Leipzig with a 4-0 away romp at second division Sandhausen.

The American has replaced new Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann at Leipzig, who finished runners up in the Bundesliga and German Cup last season.

Leipzig centre-back Willi Orban headed in an Angelino corner to put the visitor's ahead before Mali midfielder Amadou Haidara fired in their second goal just before half-time.

French forward Christopher Nkunku combined with Silva for their third after the break.

Travelling fans sang "still time for one more" and substitute Dominik Szoboszlai, who joined for 20 million euros ($23 million) last January, obliged by scoring on his Leipzig debut after six months out with injury.

Fourth-tier Babelsberg knocked out Greuther Fuerth, newly promoted to the Bundesliga, winning the penalty shoot-out 5-4 as it finished 2-2 after extra time.

There were few problems elsewhere for top-flight clubs.

Bayer Leverkusen won 3-0 at fourth-tier Lokomotive Leipzig as Germany midfielder Kerem Demirbay scored twice.

Stuttgart demolished fourth division outfit Dynamo Berlin 6-0 in the capital, while three late goals saw Arminia Bielefeld win 6-3 at regional minnows Bayreuth.

Augsburg bounced back from conceding an early goal in their 4-2 hammering at fifth tier Greifswalder FC

Bayern Munich's first-round tie on Friday has been postponed until August 25 after fifth-tier opponents Bremer were quarantined due to cases of the coronavirus.