As Borussia Dortmund maintains pressure on Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, they also have the crucial challenge of navigating the Champions League knockout stage.
Heading into the match, coach Niko Kovac faced the absence of both Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Süle, leading to Luca Reggiani receiving his first start for the team just over a week after making his debut.
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Fortunately for Dortmund, Serhou Guirassy scored an early goal just three minutes into the match, heading in a cross from Julian Ryerson. This assist marked Ryerson’s contribution to Dortmund’s last five goals.
After the quick opener, the game settled into a balanced contest, with the hosts creating more chances, but neither team was able to seriously threaten the opposing goalkeeper.
As the match progressed into extra time, Guirassy turned from scorer to provider, setting up Maximilian Beier for a bundled goal to extend the lead to 2-0.
The second half was much more subdued, with Dortmund focusing on managing their lead and heading into the second leg comfortably. Atalanta struggled to challenge Dortmund’s defense, led by goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, and came close to scoring only once from a corner, when they failed to convert from practically on the goal line.
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Dortmund now carries a 2-0 advantage into the return leg in Bergamo next week. Given Atalanta’s performance, next week should pose little difficulty for die Schwarzgelben. Furthermore, since the match did not increase Dortmund’s challenges—a blessing considering the tough upcoming schedule against RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, and Atalanta amidst an injury crisis in central defense—this result and performance were ideal.
Borussia Dortmund:
Gregor Kobel (5), Julian Ryerson (7), Luca Reggiani (5), Waldemar Anton (6), Ramy Bensebaini (6), Daniel Svensson (5), Felix Nmecha (6), Jobe Bellingham (5), Maximilian Beier (6), Julian Brandt (5), Sehrou Guirassy (7)
Substitutes: Carney Chukwuemeka (5), Karim Adeyemi (5), Marcel Sabitzer (-), Fabio Silva (-)
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GGFN Man of the Match: Serhou Guirassy (7)
Earlier this year, doubts loomed over Guirassy’s effectiveness as a striker. However, in recent weeks, he has dispelled those concerns and returned to form. Dortmund’s strategy of utilizing crossed balls has played to the 29-year-old’s strengths, and he has demonstrated versatility by assisting the second goal.
GGFN | Jack Meenan