Match Report
BVB turn it on after the break and win 3-0 in Lisbon
Boris Rupert reporting from Lisbon
Approximately 4,500 fans at a slightly under-capacity Estádio José Alvalade witnessed a low-key encounter for 45 minutes. Both teams appeared intent on playing it safe, Borussia even more so than Sporting. But the Black & Yellows turned on the style after the interval and deserved the win and the 3-0 margin of victory, which came courtesy of goals from Guirassy (60), Groß (68) and Adeyemi (82).
The scenario:
While BVB had finished in 10th place and only missed out on direct qualification for the round of 16 by one point, Sporting came in 23rd position and secured the penultimate ticket for the knockout stages. This was despite the fact that Portugal's champions and league leaders had started the campaign with 10 points from four matches, including a 4-1 win over Manchester City. The Black & Yellows had faced Sporting twice in the group stages before, winning the first three meetings – but losing the last one 3-1 in Lisbon in the 2021/22 season.
Personnel matters:
The full first-team squad was available with the exception of Bensebaini (muscle strain) and Nmecha (knee injury). Coach Kovac made two changes to the starting line-up that lost 2-1 to Stuttgart: new signing Svensson replaced Bensebaini and Schlotterbeck (suspended in the league) came in for Anton.
Tactics:
In possession, Svensson pushed into central midfield alongside Sabitzer in Dortmund's 4-2-3-1. Groß then occupied the centre-left position, Brandt the centre-right position and wingers Adeyemi and Gittens made themselves available as passing options level with Guirassy. That meant the 4-2-3-1 system became a 3-2-2-3. Sporting also took to the field in a 4-2-3-1 formation, which turned into a 4-2-2-2 off the ball.
The match & analysis:
The Black & Yellows' attacking play was characterised by many losses of possession and problems controlling and carrying the ball in what was a low-key opening half of this encounter, in which Sporting also made many simple mistakes.
Nonetheless, the Portuguese outfit threatened on several occasions. An alert Schlotterbeck first cleared to deny Harder, who had come into the team to replace the injured star striker Gyökeres (9). Araujo was then afforded far too much space, shot from 20 metres and thundered the ball against the crossbar (15). There continued to be organisational problems at the back in the period that followed. Ryerson intervened on the half-hour mark as Harder prepared to shoot, before the Dane got a shot away from distance five minutes later. Kobel got his arm to the powerful strike at the last moment.
The Black & Yellows only posed an attacking threat twice in the first period: Gittens first pulled the trigger from distance following a piece of individual play but missed the bottom right corner by half a metre (38). The ball then fell to the feet of Guirassy from a Ryerson corner-kick in stoppage time, but he poked it wide of the target. However, the goal would not have counted. It was offside.
The Black & Yellows created more moments of danger in the first 10 minutes of the second period than they had in the entirety of the first half. Dortmund pressed higher and, above all, more coherently and generally looked more courageous and purposeful. Ball after ball flew into the Sporting box – one of which was delivered from a centre-left position by Sabitzer towards Guirassy. He chested it down for Adeyemi, who shot first-time from 11 metres out, but keeper Rui Silva got down in time and made a strong save (55).
Five minutes later Schlotterbeck picked out Brandt, who delivered a high cross into the six-yard box. The ball sailed beyond Rui Silva towards Guirassy, who caught the keeper wrong-footed with a looping header into the top right corner at the back post. The deserved opening goal gave the team even more self-confidence. Guirassy then crossed into the danger zone with great precision from the right and Groß steered the ball over the line with his knee (68).
Groß presented Guirassy with the chance to make it 3-0 with 10 minutes left, but the BVB striker could not generate enough power on the ball from 12 metres out. But the third goal came shortly afterwards. Schlotterbeck won the ball on the edge of the box and initiated the counter-attack. Adeyemi picked out the run of Brandt deep in the Sporting half and sprinted into space in front of goal. Brandt delivered the return ball low into the six-yard box and the falling Adeyemi fired left-footed into the top corner of the net (82).
Outlook:
The outcome of this round of 16 tie will be determined in a week's time, on 19 February (Wednesday at 18:45 CET), when the return leg takes place at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK. BVB will be away to VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga on Saturday (15:30 CET).
Teams & goals
UEFA Champions League knockout stage play-off first leg
Tuesday 11 February 2025, 21:00 CET
SPORTING CP 0-3 (0-0) BORUSSIA DORTMUND
Sporting CP: Silva – Fresneda (Quaresma, 73), St. Juste, Diomande, Reis (Braganca, 62) – Simoes (Morita, 62), Debast (Biel, 73) – Quenda, Trincao, Araujo – Harder (Gyökeres, 59)
Bor. Dortmund: Kobel – Ryerson, Can, Schlotterbeck, Svensson (Süle, 90+3) –, Sabitzer, Groß (Özcan, 90+3) – Adeyemi (Duranville, 86), Brandt (Chukwuemeka, 86), Gittens (Beier, 65) – Guirassy
Substitutes: Callai, Israel, Inacio, Esgaio, Brito, Moreira, Anjos – Meyer, Lotka, Anton, Reyna, Couto
Goals: 0-1 Guirassy (Brandt, 60), 0-2 Groß (Guirassy, 68), 0-3 Adeyemi (Brandt, 82)
Corners: 4-7 (2-3 at half-time), chance ratio: 3-7 (2-1)
Referee: Eskas (Norway), yellow cards: Trincao – Guirassy
Attendance: around 45,000, weather: overcast, 13 degrees