Aubameyang scores again, Dortmund beats Stuttgart 4-1
BERLIN (AP) - Bundesliga top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got another two goals for Borussia Dortmund in its 4-1 home victory over Stuttgart to consolidate second place on Sunday.
Interim Stuttgart coach Juergen Kramny got off to a bad start when Gonzalo Castro scored in the third minute and then set up Aubameyang in the 19th.
Castro was first to the rebound when Przemyslaw Tyton saved Henrikh Mkhitaryan's initial effort and set up Aubameyang with his heel. The Gabon striker lifted the ball over the outrushing Tyton for Dortmund's second.
"The goal was easier than the assist," Castro said.
Tyton made a fine save to deny Mkhitaryan again in the 30th, before Daniel Didavi pulled one back from Filip Kostic's cross in the 40th. Hopes of a comeback effectively ended when Georg Niedermeier turned Marco Reus' cross into his own net in the 65th.
Aubameyang claimed his second in injury time when he was set up by substitute Adrian Ramos. It was the forward's 17th league goal of the season.
Dortmund stayed eight points behind leader Bayern Munich, while Stuttgart slipped to its third straight defeat.
"I think we had a few good phases," said Kramny, who took over from fired predecessor Alexander Zorniger. "We showed a reaction after the second goal and made it 2-1. Then Dortmund played to its quality and you can't catch up any more."
Bayer Leverkusen salvaged a 1-1 draw with Schalke after an own goal forced by Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez with five minutes remaining.
The Mexico forward ran onto Kevin Kampl's through ball and cut it back toward goal, where goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann's block rebounded off Sascha Riether's head into the goal.
It had looked like Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's 50th-minute strike would be enough for the visitors.
Leon Goretzka played a perfect pass into the path of Choupo-Moting, who held off Giulio Donati and poked the ball beyond Leverkusen 'keeper Bernd Leno.
Leverkusen stayed sixth, 19 points behind Bayern. Schalke dropped to eighth behind Leverkusen and Hamburger SV on goal difference.
Third-place Wolfsburg could only manage a goalless draw at Augsburg, which climbed above Stuttgart into the relegation playoff place on goal difference.