BERLIN: Armenia midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored twice as Borussia Dortmund thrashed Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-0 on Saturday to launch their season with a bang on coach Thomas Tuchel’s Bundesliga debut with the club.

After Jurgen Klopp resigned last season, Tuchel began his tenure in emphatic as Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also netted with Dortmund displaying the kind of tenacious free-flowing football that led the club to back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012.

Dortmund, rock bottom midway through last season before a revival rescued a Europa League spot, threw down the gauntlet to defending champions Bayern Munich and showed they mean business under Tuchel as they gave Gladbach, third last season, no chance.

Bayern began their quest for an historic fourth successive title when they routed Hamburg 5-0 at home on Friday.

Reus’ unstoppable shot beat keeper Yann Sommer in the 15th minute and Aubameyang doubled the lead six minutes later, heading in a Marcel Schmelzer cross.

Dortmund made it 3-0 when Mkhitaryan slotted home on 33 minutes after Aubameyang had torn the Gladbach defence to pieces and the Armenian sealed the win with his second goal in the 50th when he drilled home Reus’ pass.

Marcel Heller also found the net twice, including a spectacular 70-metre solo run for his first goal, as promoted Darmstadt 98 marked their return to the top flight after 33 years with a 2-2 draw at home to Hanover 96.

Schalke 04 started their Bundesliga season with a 3-0 victory at Werder Bremen on Saturday while Bayer Leverkusen warmed up first leg of their Champions League play-off clash at Lazio on Tuesday with a 2-1 comeback win against Hoffenheim.

Promoted Ingolstadt stunned hosts Mainz 05 1-0 while Hertha Berlin edged past Augsburg by the same score.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2015

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