Dortmund eases to 4-0 win over Galatasaray

ISTANBUL - The Associated Press

Adrian Ramos of Borussia Dortmund, right, scores past Galatasaray's goalkeeper Fernando Muslera during their Champions League Group D soccer match at the Turk Telekom Arena Stadium in Istanbul, Oct. 22. AP Photo

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice as Borussia Dortmund exploited poor defending to beat Galatasaray 4-0 in the Champions League on Oct. 22.

Dortmund's third victory in three matches strengthened its grip on Group D with nine points. Arsenal beat Anderlecht 2-1 and is second with six. Anderlecht and Galatasaray have one each.

Dortmund is struggling badly in the Bundesliga and is one point away from the relegation zone. But the last time Dortmund began the Champions League campaign with three straight wins was in 1997 when it won the title.

Aubameyang opened the scoring in the sixth minute, when he tapped in a cross from Marco Reus, and doubled the lead in the 18th with another simple strike from close range. Reus scored the third in the 41st by curling in a spectacular shot from more than 20 meters.

Adrian Ramos added the fourth in the 83rd, one minute after coming on for Shinji Kagawa, who had set up Reus.

All four goals came after woeful defending by Galatasaray. "We were very efficient," Dortmund's captain Mats Hummels said. "We had two early chances and we scored from both of them, and then of course it's easier to play. We also wanted to play good defense and we did."

Aubameyang was left with a simple tap-in on the first goal when Reus had plenty of space to cross. On the second, Henrikh Mkhitaryan sent Lukasz Piszczek racing and the defender had plenty of time to find Aubameyang.

Neven Subotic made a big clearance in front of Burak Yılmaz, then Aubameyang hit the post from close range from another Mkhitaryan pass.

Reus was left unchallenged when he fired his goal and Ramos also had plenty of space to place his shot after a good through ball from İlkay Gundoğan, another substitute who is coming back after missing 14 months with a back injury.