Reus strikes twice as Dortmund trim Bayern's lead

Berlin (AFP) – Marco Reus defied the boos of the home crowd with two goals against Union Berlin on Sunday, as Borussia Dortmund cruised to a 3-0 win to narrow the gap at the top of the Bundesliga to six points. 

Reus, who won a controversial penalty when the two teams met last season, was given a hostile welcome to the capital.

But he silenced the home end with two first-half goals as Dortmund claimed their first ever away win at Union and gave themselves faint hope in the title race. 

After leaders Bayern slumped to a shock defeat at minnows Bochum on Saturday, the clash in the capital was a must-win for second-placed Dortmund. 

Dortmund made a nervy start, but took the lead on 18 minutes, Reus drilling a low shot home from close range amid a flurry of legs in the box. 

Reus doubled the lead on the counter-attack shortly afterwards after Dan-Axel Zagadou caught the Union defence napping apart with a devastating diagonal ball upfield. 

Union’s valiant second-half resistance was ended on 71 minutes when Raphael Guerreiro toepoked in a third goal from close range. 

Tempers flared in the final 15 minutes as the home side had a goal ruled out by VAR for a foul on Manuel Akanji.

Dortmund host reigning Scottish champions Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday.