Germany round-up: Koller seals Dortmund win

BV Borussia Dortmund joined Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the top of the 1. Bundesliga after a hard-earned 3-1 home win over Hertha BSC Berlin on Sunday.

Koller double
Striker Jan Koller was the hero of the day, as his two goals - one in each half - proved the difference between two well-matched sides. Only goal difference now separates Dortmund from Leverkusen, with both sides on 42 points having played 19 games.

Towering header
Koller's first strike came after just seven minutes when he headed Stefan Reuter's precise right-wing cross into the top corner. His second arrived nine minutes into the second period, as he rose to meet Tomáš Rosický's corner with another towering header. Henrique Ewerthon had already wasted a golden chance to put Dortmund further ahead from the penalty spot in the 36th minute, after the referee judged he had been fouled by Marko Rehmer.

Advantage restored
Dortmund controlled the early stages of the second half but it was Hertha who hit back with a goal out of nothing in the 71st minute. Marcelinho managed to find Andreas Neuendorf with a smart back-heel, and the substitute blasted home to give the visitors hope. But within four minutes Christian Wörns had restored Dortmund's two-goal advantage and virtually killed the game off. Again the goal came from a Rosický corner, Wörns beating Michael Preetz to score Dortmund's third goal of the evening.

Topic the hero
A 79th-minute goal by Bosnia-Herzegovnian international striker Marko Topic saw FC Energie Cottbus record only their fourth win of the season at the expense of title-chasing SV Werder Bremen. Topic took full advantage of a slip by Frank Verlaat to latch on to Vasile Miriuta's through-ball, running clear to beat Bremen goalkeeper Frank Rost with a right foot shot.

Remarkable turnaround
The goal marked a remarkable turnaround in a match that Bremen looked to have under control for long periods. The visitors had taken the lead in the 28th minute, Goncalves Aílton scoring with a left-foot drive after good approach play by Tim Borowski. But they failed to build on their advantage, conceding an equaliser with four minutes of the half remaining when Hungarian defender János Mátyus beat Marco Bode to head home Miriuta's corner.