Reus, Alcácer send Dortmund through 2-0 in German Cup

BERLIN (AP) — Borussia Dortmund overcame a stubborn challenge from third-division Uerdingen and a reunion with World Cup winner Kevin Großkreuz to win 2-0 in the first round of the German Cup on Friday.

Marco Reus and Paco Alcácer both scored for Dortmund, which simply had too much firepower for the designated home team despite a fine performance from Uerdingen goalkeeper Lukas Königshofer in Düsseldorf.

Großkreuz, a Dortmund fan who played for his hometown team from 2009-2015, said before the game he wanted to “annoy” for former teammates, and he followed through on his threat when he cleared Lukasz Piszczek’s header off the line.

Mats Hummels endured a difficult first half in his second Dortmund debut. The former Germany defender, back from Bayern Munich, was fortunate to avoid a yellow card before a mistake almost gave Uerdingen the lead minutes before the break.

Osayamen Osawe dragged his shot wide when he only had goalkeeper Marwin Hitz to beat.

Reus broke the deadlock four minutes after the break, though TV replays showed he may have used his right arm to control Manuel Akanji’s cross before he scored, and Alcácer curled in a brilliant free kick to seal the result in the 70th minute.