Not since January 2013 had the two BVB forwards managed to score in the same game, back when Jurgen Klopp still ruled the roost
Borussia Dortmund stalwarts Marco Reus and Mario Gotze found themselves together on the score-sheet for the first time in over six years as the Bundesliga side set a new personal best on Saturday.
Hannover became the latest side to feel the wrath of Lucien Favre’s table-toppers in a dominant 5-1 victory for the hosts at Signal Iduna Park.
Achraf Hakimi opened the scoring in the first half before Dortmund cut loose after the break, adding a further four goals including three in just seven minutes.
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Reus, Gotze, Raphael Guerreiro and Axel Witsel all found the net, while Hannover hit a late consolation through Marvin Bakalorz.
But it was the presence of both Reus and Gotze among the scorers that caught the eye at the weekend.
The last time the pair had both netted in the same game was January 19, 2013, a full six years and seven days ago.
Reus furthermore overtook former BVB sharpshooter Robert Lewandowski with his 75th Bundesliga goal, a mark only five other players have ever surpassed in club history.
Dortmund had also hit five that day, downing Werder Bremen 5-0 under the direction of club favourite Jurgen Klopp.
Having struggled to keep pace with Bayern in recent seasons since Klopp’s 2015 exit, BVB are now leading the Bundesliga in what is turning out to be a record-breaking campaign.
With 48 points from their first 19 games in 2018-19 the club have set a historic high for this point in the season, and with 15 wins they have already equalled the number of victories managed over the entirety of 2017-18.
One distinctive feature of Favre’s team has been the distribution of goals across the squad, with top scorers Reus and Paco Alcacer (with 12 each) ably assisted by their team-mates.
In netting against Hannover, Guerreiro became the 17th man to trouble the scorers in 2018-19, while Dortmund in total have hit no less than 50 times at a rate of almost three a game.