Dortmund's Jude Bellingham and Dortmund's Erling Haaland celebrate a goal the was cancelled later during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
The Associated Press
BERLIN (AP) - Erling Haaland scored twice as Borussia Dortmund came from behind three times to beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-3 in a thrilling Bundesliga game on Saturday.
Both teams already had - along with Bayern Munich - the best attacks in the league (nine goals from three games), so needed no encouragement to push forward.
Leverkusen opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Paulinho played Florian Wirtz through and the 18-year-old Germany forward tucked his shot inside the right post.
Dortmund kept pushing, however. Haaland finally equalized in the 37th with a header to Thomas Meunier's cross.
Jude Bellingham's goal two minutes later for Dortmund was ruled out by VAR for a foul by Mahmoud Dahoud in the buildup.
Bellingham went close shortly afterward and Leverkusen struck on a counterattack before the break. Wirtz set up Patrik Schick to score in off the far post before the break.
Brandt equalized right after it, somehow controlling Haaland's poor pass at pace before blasting the ball high into the roof of the net.
But Moussa Diaby fired Leverkusen back in front in the 55th with a crisp shot from distance inside the right post. He missed the ball with his first attempt, then made up for it with his next.
Meunier was fortunate to escape a second yellow card after going head-to-head with Wirtz, who was booked.
Guerreiro equalized with a brilliant free kick inside the top right corner the 71st, and Haaland got the winner from the penalty spot in the 77th.
Odilon Kossounou conceded the spot kick after a VAR intervention for catching Marco Reus in the face with his hand as he tried to shield the ball.
Wolfsburg maintained its perfect start to the season by winning at promoted Greuther Fürth 2-0, Mainz won at Hoffenheim 2-0, Cologne drew in Freiburg 1-1, and Union Berlin drew with Augsburg 0-0.
Leipzig hosted Bayern Munich late in a clash between last season's top two.
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Dortmund's Erling Haaland scores a penalty goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
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Dortmund's Marco Reus, left, got a cut in his face next to Dortmund's Erling Haaland, right, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
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Dortmund's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his side's 4th goal with a penalty during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
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Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby celebrates after he scores his side's third goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
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Leverkusen's scorer Moussa Diaby celebrates with Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah after he scored his side's third goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
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Leverkusen's Patrik Schick celebrates after he scores his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
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Berlin's Max Kruse shoots a free kick against FC Augsburg's defense during a German Bundesliga soccer match between Union Berlin and FC Augsburg in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Sept.11, 2021. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)
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Fuerth's Cedric Itten, left, in action against Wolfsburg's Sebastiaan Bornauw during a German Bundesliga soccer match between Greuther Fuerth and VfL Wolfsburg in Fuerth, Germant, Saturday, Sept.26, 2021. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)
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Cologne's Jorge Méré Pérez in a duel with Freiburg's Woo-Yeong Jeong during a German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg and 1. FC Cologne in Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, Sept.11, 2021. (Ditfurth/dpa via AP)
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