2-0, 2-2, 4-2 – BVB reach semi-finals after wild ride

Boris Rupert reporting

The 81,365 spectators, who made for a breathtaking atmosphere, saw BVB take a 2-0 lead before the break thanks to goals from Julian Brandt (34) and Ian Maatsen (39) and put themselves on course for the semi-finals. But it was all back to square one following an unlucky own goal by Mats Hummels only three minutes after the restart. Angel Correa levelled at 2-2 in the 64th minute, but BVB hit back: two quick-fire goals from Niklas Füllkrug (71) and Marcel Sabitzer (74) put the Black & Yellows 4-2 up and re-established their two-goal lead.

The scenario:
The 2-1 reverse in the first leg meant that BVB had to win the game and have a two-goal advantage after 90 or 120 minutes in order to reach the semi-finals. Borussia had won six of their previous eight knockout ties against Spanish opposition; only against Real Madrid did they twice fail to progress.

Personnel matters:   
Except for the injured Malen, Haller and Bensebaini, everyone was available, including Bynoe-Gittens and Sancho, who had to be substituted off and sit out respectively in Gladbach. There was one change to the line-up from the first leg: Brandt replaced Nmecha.

Tactics:   
Atlético lined up in a 5-3-2 formation off the ball; they either allowed Borussia, who started in a 4-3-3 formation, to carry the ball up to the halfway line without interruption before forming a tight block or they relied on high pressing tactics.

The match & analysis:
The match started with two major chances at different ends. Adeyemi broke through in a centre-left position and his cross slid through to the briefly unmarked Sabitzer on the edge of the six-yard box. The Borussia man hesitated a tad too long, allowing Azpilicueta to make a sliding intervention and prevent an almost certain opener (3). Morata went clean through on the BVB goal with Sabitzer in pursuit shortly afterwards but dinked the ball narrowly wide of the right post (5). It was an intense clash, with the Black & Yellows on top. In the 18th minute, Ryerson's cross found Adeyemi on the left of the six-yard box but his first-time volley was too central and Oblak made the save.

With the exception of the aforementioned incident, BVB had the game under control – and got their reward. After the ball was initially cleared, Ryerson cut it back on the edge of the box towards Hummels, who played it to Brandt in the centre-left of the box with the outside of his right boot. With his back to goal, Julian Brandt turned and fired the ball under Oblak's body from a tight angle to make it 1-0 (34). Five minutes later Sabitzer – once again down the left flank – touched the ball into the box towards Maatsen, who fired a powerful and well-placed strike into the far corner to make it 2-0. By this point, the shot count stood at 9-2.

Atlético re-emerged from the changing rooms with three new faces. Griezmann threaded through to Correa, whose shot was blocked for a corner. The ball fell to the unmarked Hermoso on the corner of the six-yard box who headed the ball across goal. Hummels attempted a clearance and steered the ball into his own net (49).

The action was now end to end with a marginal advantage for the visitors, whose goalkeeper Oblak cleared from Sabitzer outside the penalty area (56) and then saw Correa get the better of Schlotterbeck before firing wide of the BVB goal (57). BVB were coming under increasing pressure. Kobel saved a dangerous shot but the players in front of him failed to get the ball clear and it landed at the feet of Correa, whose shot from eight metres out was blocked by the leg of a defender but he followed up with an artistic effort into the roof of the net to make it 2-2 (64).

A deflected shot by substitute Bynoe-Gittens, which landed on the roof of the net, brought the stadium back to life. Borussia were playing towards the South Stand and were fighting against impending elimination. Sabitzer crossed from the left into the box, where Füllkrug rose and headed the ball in off the inside of the far post to make it 3-2 (71). Can initiated the fourth goal with a through-ball three minutes later: Brandt's lay-off was blocked but it fell to Sabitzer, who fired into the bottom right corner from 14 metres. The stadium now resembled a madhouse. Füllkrug (81) and Sabitzer (87) were thwarted by strong Oblak saves, which kept the tie on a knife edge throughout the four minutes of stoppage time.

Outlook:
BVB will face newly crowned German champions Bayer Leverkusen at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK in the Bundesliga at 17:30 CEST on Sunday.

Teams & goals

UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final Return Leg
BORUSSIA DORTMUND 4-2 (2-0) ATLÉTICO MADRID

Bor. Dortmund: Kobel – Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen – Can – Sabitzer, Brandt (Brandt, 90) – Adeyemi (Bynoe-Gittens, 66), Füllkrug, Sancho (Özcan, 86)
Atlético Madrid: Oblak – Molina (Barrios, 46), Witsel, Giménez, Hermoso, Azpilicueta (Riquelme, 46) – Koke – Llorente, de Paul (Niguez, 84) – Morata (Correa, 46), Griezmann
Substitutes: Meyer, Lotka; Wolf, Süle, Moukoko, Özcan, Duranville, Nmecha, Wätjen – Moldovan, Gomis; Gabriel, Savic, Vermeeren, Reinildo, Nino
Goals: 1-0 Brandt (Hummels, 34), 2-0 Maatsen (Sabitzer, 39), 2-1 Hummels own goal (49), 2-2 Correa (64), 3-2 Füllkrug (Sabitzer, 71), 4-2 Sabitzer (Brandt, 74)
Corners: 6-2 (3-1 at half-time), chance ratio: 8-5 (4-1)
Referee: Vincic (Slovenia), yellow cards: Ryerson – Azpilicueta, Hermoso
Attendance: 81,365 (sold-out), weather: cloudy, 7 degrees