Malen double helps Dortmund cruise past Freiburg

Donyell Malen scored twice to help Borussia Dortmund to a 3-0 victory over visitors Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Friday and tighten their grip on fourth spot.

The Dutch forward had come close with a bicycle kick before he threaded a shot past three Freiburg defenders in the 16th minute.

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He then timed his run perfectly to latch on to a Niclas Füllkrug pass and rifle in from a tight angle deep in first-half stoppage time for his ninth league goal. Germany international Fullkrug headed in their third goal in the 87th.

Hendrik Deckers/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images

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Jadon Sancho, on loan from Manchester United, came off the Dortmund bench in the 88th minute for a brief cameo after a muscle problem kept him out of last week's 0-0 draw at Heidenheim.

Coach Edin Terzic has linked Sancho's fitness issue to his months-long absence from games at United before he returned to Dortmund on loan last month.

Dortmund, who face PSV Eindhoven later in February for their Champions League round of 16 first leg, are fourth in the standings on 40 points, as many as third-placed VfB Stuttgart. RB Leipzig, fifth on 36, travel to Augsburg on Saturday.

The game was interrupted twice with fans throwing chocolate coins and tennis balls onto the pitch in protest to a planned investor deal with the league. 

Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.