German Bundesliga NewsDortmund vs Schalke: Haaland reminds Europe of his talent
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Erling Braut Haaland scored for Borussia Dortmund as they marked the return of the Bundesliga with a convincing derby win over Schalke

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BVB vs Schalke match will be remembered for the surreal circumstances in which it was played. Germany became the first major league in Europe to resume action in empty stadiums.

The atmosphere was strange and frightening at Dortmund’s iconic Signal Iduna Park stadium. Every shout by players or coaches was audible and social distancing protocol followed by substitutes and during celebrations.

Haaland opened the scoring with a trademark cool finish, flicking home Thorgen Hazard’s cross to continue his sensational season.

Raphael Guerreiro added two more goals and Hazard found the net. Dortmund claimed a comfortable win over Schalke moving within a point of leaders, Bayern Munich.

Strict hygiene protocols took seriously.

Elite-level football might be back in Europe. But certainly, it has a different feel than it did two months ago.

Strict hygiene protocols saw the Dortmund and Schalke players arrive on multiple buses, use several changing rooms, and enter the pitch by different routes.

Warm-ups were staggered and the coaching staff along with the substitutes wore masks. They were thereof all separated by two meters as they took their place on the sidelines.

Once the ball boys disinfected the balls, the game began in total silence. The match was pierced by the referee’s whistle for kick-off before being played out to the sound of echoed applause or yelled instructions from the dug-outs.

Fans completely absent from the 80,000-capacity stadium, Dortmund players performed their trademark salute to the empty stands at the final whistle. They stood apart rather than holding hands as normal.

Haaland reminds Europe of his talent

The backdrop to the game made a strange spectacle. However, it did nothing to disrupt Haaland’s fine form after 70 days of his last appearance in Bundesliga.

With the rest of Europe watching, the 19-year-old wonder kid reminded everyone of his precocious talent as he scored one goal and helped make another.

Haaland now hits 10 goals in his first nine Bundesliga appearances since his January move from RB Leipzig.

Another Dortmund’s highly-rated young talent, Jadon Sancho was restricted to an 11-minute cameo off the pitch because of the calf injury.