Borussia Dortmund struggled for a long time against Villarreal CF. But in the decisive moments, BVB suddenly came into their own and ended up winning 4-0 (1-0).
There was a time when Borussia Dortmund would have come up short against Spanish teams in one category: willpower. When things got niggly, tough, and uncomfortable on the pitch, the BVB pros would sometimes back down.
On Tuesday evening, however, Dortmund was a class above Villarreal in this regard. BVB won 4-0 (1-0) thanks to goals from Serhou Guirassy (45+2/54, handball penalty), Karim Adeyemi (58) and Daniel Svensson (90).
A result that actually sounded like a football fireworks display. However, the match on the fifth day of the Champions League had little to do with that. In the decisive moments, however, Dortmund forced their luck – and managed to turn the tide ahead of Saturday’s Bundesliga away game at Bayer Leverkusen (6:30 p.m./Sky).
The game was far from over when Mats Hummels first pointed out one of the wounds currently gnawing at BVB. “It’s a stable team that brings the basics to the pitch,” said the Dortmund defensive legend in his new role as a TV expert at Prime. However, the 36-year-old then complained: “But they lack the big highlights in their play.” If Hummels had needed to find further evidence for this not-so-bold thesis, he could have presented a whole file by halftime at the latest.
Twice, Hummels’ heirs Waldemar Anton (22nd minute) and Nico Schlotterbeck (36th minute) made last-ditch tackles with the finest of margins, preventing two Spanish counterattacks that had the potential to result in goals. Those were the two highlights from Dortmund’s perspective – and that said a lot about the staid black-and-yellow performance. BVB played twice as many passes as their opponents from the Spanish Mediterranean coast, but they didn’t yield any results. Long balls to left-back Daniel Svensson were the most effective tactic. Villarreal, on the other hand, third in the Spanish league, became more active. The best chance: Pape Gueye’s shot from the penalty area, which flew just over the bar after a free kick trick (31′).
However, neither Hummels nor any of the 81,365 spectators in the sold-out Dortmund stadium could find an explanation for the half-time score. 1-0 to BVB. A corner kick from Daniel Svensson broke the lack of ideas in added time. Waldemar Anton passed the ball to Aaron Anselmino, who was a surprise starter in place of Emre Can. He in turn passed to Serhou Guirassy, who headed the ball in from a meter in front of the goal line. Dortmund had a brief scare when Anton was checked for a supposed handball. But the goal counted.
BVB: VAR in the spotlight twice
The video referee was also in the spotlight immediately after the break – again with a positive outcome for BVB. This is what happened: Dortmund counterattacked, Felix Nmecha shot down a Spaniard. On the second attempt, goalkeeper Luiz Junior was already beaten, but Karim Adeyemi did not hit the empty goal, instead hitting the outstretched arm of captain Juan Foyth. Handball penalty! Davide Massa checked the TV screen again and stuck to his decision, but increased the penalty: red instead of yellow for Foyth. Guirassy took over the task in Can’s absence. However, he did not do the job confidently. His first attempt was a loose shot that Luiz Junior saved, but he slotted home the rebound (54′). Lucky. As was the third goal shortly afterwards, when Thomas Partey shot at Adeyemi and the ball flew into the net off his shin (58′). Only once did nerves get the better of them, when substitute Fabio Silva hit the crossbar with a penalty (82′). Svensson put the icing on the cake in stoppage time with the 4-0. Dortmund had nevertheless caught the Spaniards cold on this November evening – and took a big step towards the knockout stages.