Leaders Dortmund notch seventh straight away win

Berlin: Borussia Dortmund struck twice in the second half to battle back to a 2-1 win at Freiburg on Saturday and maintain their seven-point Bundesliga lead with a league record seventh straight away win.

Freiburg took a first-half lead courtesy of a Mats Hummels own goal but Dortmund secured their 11th victory in 13 games with a goal from substitute Robert Lewandowski in the 75th minute and a Mensur Mujdza own goal three minutes later.Mainz 05 twice came back from a goal down to beat hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-2 with substitute Sami Allagui scoring a spectacular winner and his second of the afternoon two minutes from time to lift them into second spot on 27 points. Bayer Leverkusen, on 24, can move level with Mainz later on Saturday when they host Bayern Munich. Hoffenheim kept up the chase with a 4-0 crushing of hosts Eintracht Frankfurt to move up to fifth spot on 21 points while Hamburg SV recorded their third straight away defeat, a 3-2 loss at Hanover 96. Schalke 04`s Raul scored a hat-trick, including a stunning chip over keeper Tim Wiese, to steer his team to a 4-0 demolition of troubled Werder Bremen, who have now conceded 13 goals in their last four league games.Freiburg did not look intimidated by the league leaders` track record and took a deserved, albeit curious lead, when Dortmund defender Neven Subotic tried to clear on the line but hit teammate Hummels with the ball which deflected off his leg into goal. Borussia, who had scored 29 goals before Saturday, were toothless in the first half with Nuri Sahin lacking his usual commanding form in midfield. But they were transformed in the second half, putting on the pressure from the start and forcing Freiburg keeper Oliver Baumann to three spectacular saves in the early stages. The pressure against a defensive-minded Freiburg finally paid off when Lewandowski connected with a Marcel Schmelzer cross to head in the equaliser 15 minutes from time. Borussia were in no mood for a draw, however, pushing forward as the desperate hosts tried to hang on. Lukasz Piszczek crossed from the left into the box in the 78th minute and Freiburg`s Mujzda slid in before Dortmund`s Lucas Barrios to slot the ball into his own net. The visitors should have added another in the 83rd minute but Jakub Blaszczykowski somehow managed to fire over the crossbar from 10 metres in front of an empty goal with no defender or goalkeeper near him. Freiburg caused a scare deep in stoppage time when Julian Schuster hit the bar. Bureau Report