BERLIN, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund powered past hosts Union Berlin 3-0 in the Bundesliga on Saturday to cut the gap to leaders Bayern Munich, while also tightening their hold on second place with their third straight league win.
Dortmund captain Emre Can converted his 10th-minute penalty after Serhou Guirassy was brought down, to put the visitors in the driving seat.
Nico Schlotterbeck then rose higher than all of his markers at the far post to head the ball into the top corner and double their lead in the 53rd.
Union rarely managed to get into the Dortmund box despite splitting possession with their opponents, and unsuccessfully tried their luck with long-range efforts.
Guirassy should have added another goal in the 83rd but instead fired over the bar from two metres out. Maximilian Beier made amends a minute later with a low shot to make sure of the three points.
The win lifted the Ruhr valley club to 42 points, eight behind Bayern, who suffered their first league defeatof the season when they conceded two late goals to slump to a shock 2-1 loss to visitors Augsburg in their Bavarian derby earlieron Saturday. Hoffenheim, with a game in hand, are third on 36.
Dortmund next host Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday for their final league-phase match and a shot at a spot for the knockout stage.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Clare Fallon)
