- Borussia Dortmund secured a 0-3 away victory over Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their Champions League playoff tie
- Serhou Guirassy, Pascal Gross, and Karim Adeyemi scored in the second half
- Sporting twice hit the woodwork
Key Takeaways:
Last season’s finalist Borussia Dortmund secured a surprisingly convincing 0-3 victory over Sporting in Portugal in the first leg of their Champions League playoff clash. This result puts the German side in a strong position to advance to the last-16 round, where they would face either Aston Villa or Lille, setting the stage for a deeper run in the competition. The return leg at Signal Iduna Park is scheduled for 19 February.
🔝 Hervorragende Ausgangsposition für das Rückspiel am Mittwoch 👏
Zum Spielbericht:
▶️ https://t.co/BYDQxyzYZ6#UCL #SCPBVB pic.twitter.com/O9MqrNWMid— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) February 11, 2025
The emphatic win comes as a surprise, given that the Black and Yellows are struggling in the Bundesliga and are not even in the upper half of the table. Meanwhile, Sporting sit at the top of their domestic league.
On the pitch in Lisbon, the first half was uneventful, with both teams failing to create significant chances. However, Borussia emerged as a different side after the break, overwhelming the hosts with three identical goals, all resulting from crosses from the right flank. Serhou Guirassy opened the scoring with a header in the 60th minute, capitalising on a goalkeeper error. In the 69th minute, he turned provider, assisting Pascal Gross for the second goal. Karim Adeyemi sealed the win in the 82nd minute with a precise strike for 3-0. Sporting were unlucky, hitting the woodwork two times — once at 0-0 and again at 0-2 — failing to convert their chances into goals.