Malen scores after cancelled substitution for Dortmund to start Bundesliga with win over Cologne

Donyell Malen was due to go off to make way for Jamie Bynoe-Gittens just minutes before he scored, but Julian Ryerson signalled his inability to continue and Dortmund coach Edin Terzic took off the injured Ryerson instead of Malen.

Borussia Dortmund’s Donyell Malen celebrates after scoring. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Donyell Malen should not have been on the field when he scored late for Borussia Dortmund to start the Bundesliga with a fortunate 1-0 win over Cologne on Saturday,

The Dutch winger was due to go off to make way for Jamie Bynoe-Gittens just minutes before he scored, but Julian Ryerson signalled his inability to continue and Dortmund coach Edin Terzic took off the injured Ryerson instead of Malen.

“Football writes such stories,” Terzic said. “The one who stays on scores the winning goal in the end, and hopefully Jamie will conjure some magic for us next week.”

Dortmund’s late win didn’t prevent memories of the team’s missed title chance from being revived as it looked set for another disappointing draw at home in the league.

The home team laboured for long periods to break through the well-drilled visitor’s disciplined unit and was fortunate that Cologne’s Davie Selke, Dejan Ljubicic and substitute Sargis Adamyan did not score.

In its previous game at the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund failed to wrap up the title last season when it was held by Mainz to 2-2 on the final day when Bayern Munich capitalized with a 2-1 win in Cologne.

“There wasn’t much that we liked about the game today,” Terzić said. “We liked that we won. So the three points, we’ll take them.”

Malen made the breakthrough in the 88th minute despite slipping and mishitting the ball to send it in at the far post after a corner, and Dortmund’s luck held as Max Finkgräfe missed another chance for Cologne to equalize with the last kick of the game.

STUTTGART FINE WITHOUT ENDO

Stuttgart showed no ill-effect from losing captain Wataru Endo to Liverpool the previous day as both Serhou Guirassy and Silas Katompa Mvumpa scored twice in a 5-0 rout of visiting Bochum.

Promoted Heidenheim slumped to a 2-0 loss at Wolfsburg on its Bundesliga debut. The visitor got off to a bad start when Jonas Wind scored in the sixth minute. The Danish forward grabbed his second in the 27th.

Tomas Cvancara scored a late penalty to rescue a 4-4 draw for Borussia Mönchengladbach at Augsburg. The home team had come from two goals down to lead until Čvančara equalized in the seventh minute of injury time.

Also, Freiburg defeated Hoffenheim 2-1 away.