BERLIN - Shinji Kagawa became the all-time leading Japanese scorer in Bundesliga history on Saturday after hitting the winner for league-leading Dortmund in a 2-1 victory away to Augsburg.
Kagawa scored with a glorious chip to register his 38th goal in Germany’s top flight, surpassing international teammate and former Mainz and Stuttgart striker Shinji Okazaki.
“I didn’t force the shot and it was a beautiful goal,” Kagawa said. “I want to continue doing better and stay hungry for more.
“I’m not really fussed (about becoming the leading scorer). If it was the 100th or 200th goal it would be different, but 37, 38 goals is not something you can gain a sense of satisfaction from.
“Japanese players are really going to start coming through thick and fast so I want to keep putting up the numbers,” added Kagawa.
The goal was his second of the season after scoring in a 3-0 win against Hamburg on Sept. 20 to tie Okazaki’s 37-goal haul.
Earlier in the game, Andriy Yarmolenko opened the scoring in the fourth minute, but Augsburg’s Caiuby equalized seven minutes later. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed a late penalty for Dortmund.
In another Bundesliga match involving a Japanese player, Yoshinori Muto headed in his third goal of the season to earn Mainz a 1-1 draw with Wolfsburg.
Elsewhere in Europe, Gronigen’s Ritsu Doan scored the first goal of his side’s game against Zwolle in the Dutch first division, but Zwolle rallied from behind to win 3-2.
In the Belgian Jupiler League, Ryota Morioka netted for the fifth time this term as Waasland-Beveren cruised past Antwerp 3-0 at home.
Man City beats Chelsea
Kevin De Bruyne felt he was never given a fair chance during an 18-month spell at Chelsea where he played nine games before asking to be sold for the sake of his career.
Nearly four years later, the Belgium midfielder returned to Stamford Bridge as a highly coveted and more rounded player with Manchester City, and showed his former club exactly what it lost.
De Bruyne helped City take control of the biggest game of the English Premier League season so far, then secured a 1-0 win with a 25-meter shot that flew into the top corner in the 67th minute.
“What happened, happened,” De Bruyne said. “I have no regrets coming here — it made me stronger in my ways.”
Playing in a deeper role as a center midfielder, rather than as the winger who arrived at Chelsea in August 2012, De Bruyne is proving to be a crucial part of a City team that has won six of its seven league games — drawing the other one — and is unbeaten in 10 matches in all competitions.
Even without Sergio Aguero and Benjamin Mendy, who sustained injuries over the past week, City dominated Chelsea in what left back Fabien Delph described as a “big message” to the rest of the league.
City remained in first place on goal difference from Manchester United, which won 4-0 against a beleaguered Crystal Palace side that is still without a point or a goal.
Chelsea was overwhelmed by City’s movement and passing ability. The hosts weren’t helped by the loss to injury of striker Alvaro Morata in the first half.
De Bruyne’s goal came when he collected a pass from defense with a first-time flick to Gabriel Jesus. The striker laid the ball off instantly to De Bruyne, who surged through to the edge of the box before unleashing a left-footed shot that flew past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
“He made absolutely everything,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “He scores, assists, fights like a humble guy. I’m so happy for him as I know how happy he is.”
It was Chelsea’s first loss in the league since its opening-day home defeat to Burnley. Chelsea is six points behind the Manchester clubs.
Romelu Lukaku scored his 11th goal in 10 games for United, which has four 4-0 wins in the league.
It helps having Lukaku in this kind of scoring form, although the striker had a quiet afternoon at Old Trafford by his high standards until he completed the scoring in the 86th minute. He scored for the sixth straight club game.
Juan Mata opened the scoring inside three minutes and Marouane Fellaini netted either side of halftime, with the bushy-haired Belgium midfielder making the most of his extended run in the team owing to Paul Pogba’s hamstring injury.
Another player who cannot stop scoring is Harry Kane, who finished September with 13 goals from eight games by scoring twice in Tottenham’s 4-0 win on the road against Huddersfield.
Kane extended his bewildering run of goals in September by scoring twice in the first 23 minutes.
“It’s difficult to find different words every three days,” Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said of Kane, who he has lavished with praise in recent weeks — even saying he is “in love” with him.
There were also wins for West Ham, which beat Swansea 1-0 thanks to a goal in the 90th minute from Diafra Sakho, and Stoke, a 2-1 winner over Southampton.
Japan defender Maya Yoshida scored with a right-footed volley to open his account for the season, but it wasn’t enough for Southampton.
Peter Crouch was Stoke’s match-winner with an 85th-minute goal.
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