By John Bagratuni, dpa
Berlin (dpa) – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored four goals and set up the other in his return from a mid-week suspension as Borussia Dortmund spoilt the 80th birthday of SV Hamburg icon Uwe Seeler with a 5-2 triumph at the Bundesliga bottom club on Saturday.
Aubameyang was on target in the fourth, 22nd, 28th and 48th for a season tally of 11 after not being picked for the Champions League game against Sporting Lisbon by coach Thomas Tuchel over a trip to Milan with friends without the club’s permission.
Leaders Bayern Munich were meanwhile held 1-1 by courageous Hoffenheim in a duel of unbeaten teams; a result that would allow Leipzig to draw level on points with Bayern provided they beat Mainz Sunday.
Bayern have 24 points, Leipzig 21, and Hoffenheim and Hertha Berlin –
3-0 winners over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday – 20 each.
Dortmund, who next play Munich after the international break, are fifth with 18 after ending a run of four winless games, ahead of Cologne and Eintracht Frankfurt on goal difference.
«Of course I feel really happy. It was an important day for us after four games without a win. It was a good reaction from the team and a special day for me,» Aubameyang said.
The former Hamburg and Germany captain Seeler was honoured before kick-off on the pitch but then had to watch his hopes of a first season victory end early as Hamburg remains last with two points and facing a first ever Bundesliga drop.
Aubameyang tapped the opening goal after Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler could not hold on to a shot from teenager Emre Mor, and the second was an easy shot into the empty net after Mor stole the ball from Hamburg captain Johan Djourou.
He completed a hat-trick in the 28th when Marc Bartra headed a long kick-off from Adler into his path; and drove home the fourth into the bottom left corner three minutes after the break.
Nicolai Mueller ended Hamburg’s goal drought after more than seven-and-a-half games in the 55th, Aubameyang set up Ousmane Dembele for the fifth in the 76th before Mueller got his second in the 81st.
«We are very disappointed. The first half was awful,» Mueller said, while Hamburg coach Markus Gisdol said «the expectations were too high ahead of the season, the reality is a fight for survival.»
In Munich, Hoffenheim took a 16th-minute lead, with Kerem Demirbay smashing home from 18m into the top left corner to complete a counter-attack started with a fine pass by Kevin Vogt.
Rafinha and Thiago wasted chances for Bayern but Hoffenheim defender Steven Zuber then slid into Douglas Costa’s cross from the left and hit into his own net for the equalizer in the 34th.
Munich, playing in shirts made from recycled ocean plastic, tried in vain to get the winner as substitute Thomas Mueller and Mats Hummels were denied by the post late in the game.
«We knew they are a strong team. We had some difficulties at first but were unlucky in the end,» Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti said while Demirbay spoke of «a deserved draw.»
Elsewhere, Germany striker Mario Gomez had a brace as lowly Wolfsburg got a first win since the season-opener, 3-0 at 10-man Freiburg and left the danger zone; Frankfurt beat Cologne 1-0 from Mijat Gacinovic’s early header; and Bayer Leverkusen defeated Darmstadt 3-2 from Hakan Calhanoglu, Julian Brandt and Charles Aranguiz.
Second-last Ingolstadt crashed 2-0 at home against Augsburg from late goals by Raul Bobadilla and Halil Altintop, with Ingolstadt’s Tobias Levels sent off and the fate of their coach Markus Kauczinski to be discussed at a crisis meeting Sunday.
