Dortmund beat Atletico Madrid 4-2 in a thrilling encounter in the second leg to return to the Champions League semi-final after 11 years.
The hosts were the better side in the first half. They attacked mostly the opposition’s right side and it resulted in two goals from Julian Brandt and Ian Maatsen. On the other hand, Alvaro Morata missed an easy chance for the visitors when the game was 0-0.
Early in the second half, Atletico scored through an unfortunate deflection from Mats Hummels. Correa equalized in the 64th minute to make it 2-2. However, the tie changed completely in three minutes as Dortmund scored twice through Fullkrug and Sabitzer. The match ended 4-2 and Dortmund qualified for the semifinals.
Dortmund vs Atletico: Play-by-Play
The hosts had the first chance of the match in the third minute. Julian Brandt found Adeyemi in free space and he sent the ball with a low cross into the six-yard box, but Cesar Azpilicueta made a vital block to deny Sabitzer. Moments later, Griezmaan’s pass to Alvaro Morata put the striker through on goal. Despite no pressure and with only the keeper to beat, Morata missed the target.
Dortmund continued to attack and Oblak was forced to save shots from Adeyemi and Brandt. The hosts’ efforts finally came through in the 34th minute. Mats Hummels’ great pass found Brandt free behind the defense and the German international made the score 1-0. Six Minutes later, Dortmund attacked from the left flank again, and Ian Maatsen scored from a tight angle to double their lead.
Second Half Thriller
Atletico made three substitutions after halftime with Pablo Barrios, Rodrigo Riquelme, and Angel Correa replacing Molina, Azpilicueta, and Morata respectively. In the 49th minute, Griezmann’s corner was met by Mario Hermoso. The defender’s head was deflected into the back of the net by Mats Hummels to draw the tie 3-3 on aggregate. Moments Later, Koke made a precise pass to Correa, but he missed a great chance despite sending Kobel the wrong way.
The visitors were much better in the second half and they equalized in the 64th minute. Koble made a good save from Riquelme and Correa picked up the ball in the far post. His first shot was blocked by Mats Hummels, but the Argentine made no mistake and scored to level the score 2-2.
Just when Atletico was enjoying and trying to control the game, the tie turned around completely once again. Dortmund scored twice in three minutes to be ahead. First, Fullkrug scored with a good header from Sabitzer’s cross and then Sabitzer himself slotted home with a shot from the edge of the box in the 74th minute.
In the 80th minute, Oblak made a save from Fullkrug to keep his side in the match. He stopped Sabitzer’s powerful shot six minutes later as the host mounted the pressure to put the game into bed. Atletico’s efforts came to nothing in the final minutes and The match ended 4-2. Dortmund won the tie 6-5 on aggregate and will meet PSG in the semifinals.
Borussia Dortmund Player Ratings (4-2-3-1)
Gregor Kobel (GK) – 7/10: Could do nothing about the goals. He made a few saves and did well to closing the angle in one-on-one situations.
Julian Ryerson (RB) – 6/10: Normal display from the defender. He was part of a defense that did a good job for most of the match.
Mats Hummels (CB) – 8/10: Great performance from the German veteran. He assisted Brandt with a nice pass and was the heart of his team tonight. Unluckly for the deflection that led to the first goal.
Nico Schlotterbeck (CB) – 7/10: Solid performance. Made some important interceptions throughout the match.
Ian Maatsen (LB) – 8/10: He was a threat on many occasions for the visitors. Scored the hosts’ second goal with a precise shot.
Marcel Sabitzer (DM) – 9/10: Scored the winner and assisted two more. Probably his best display in Dortmund’s shirt.
Emre Can (DM) – 8/10: Helped Dortmund organize the game in defense and offense. Good performance by the captain.
Jadon Sancho (RW) – 6/10: Had a quiet night despite his side scoring four goals.
Julian Brandt (CAM) – 9/10: Man of the match. Scored the all-important first goal and orchestrated the hosts’ attacks all night.
Karim Adeyemi (LW) – 7/10: Good performance from the German winger. He caused the visitors many problems, especially in the first half.
Niclas Fullkrug (ST) – 8/10: Scored the third goal with a well-taken header to put his side back into the match. He also made the assist for the winning goal from Sabitzer.
Substitutes
Bynoe-Gittens (For Karim Adeyemi -66‘) – 7/10: The youngster came onto the pitch when the score was 2-2 and made an impact.
Salih Ozcan (For Jadon Sancho – 86‘) – N/A: Came late into the game and did his job.
Marco Reus (For Julian Brandt -90‘) – N/A: Honorary presence in the added time.
Manager
Edin Terzic – 8/10: His team was the better side tonight, especially in the first half. They control the game well except for the beginning of the second half. Dortmund had a strong reaction to Atletico’s second goal and deserved the victory.
Atletico Madrid Player Ratings (5-3-2)
Jan Oblak (GK) – 6/10: Made some vital saves to keep his team in the tie. However, he could do better on the first and the last goal.
Jose Gimenez (RCB) – 5/10: Made some good interceptions early in the match. He was responsible for Dortmund’s third goal that turned the match around.
Axel Witsel (CB) – 4/10: Could not help the team when he needed to. He was in the center of a shaky defense that said yes to almost everything.
Mario Hermoso (LCB) –6/10: Scored the first goal with a bit of luck from Hummels’ deflection. He performed better than his defensive partners.
Nahuel Molina (RB) – 5/10: Subbed at half-time. BVB attacks mostly from the left flank and he could do nothing about that.
Cesar Azpeliquetta (LB) – 6/10: Not a bad display despite being subbed at halftime. He was replaced by a more offensive-mind player.
Koke (CM) – 7/10: The captain was one of his team’s best players. Made a great pass that was missed by Correa.
Rodrigo De Paul (CM) – 6/10: Normal performance from the box-to-box midfielder. Had a few shots from the outside the box.
Marcos Llorente (CM): – 5/10: Performed less than expected from him. A night to forget by the Spaniard.
Antoine Griezmann (FW) – 8/10: His side’s best player once again and designed every attack by the visitors. Made a great pass that was missed by Morata early in the match.
Alvaro Morata (ST) – 5/10: Subbed at halftime. Missed a great chance in the fifth minute that could change everything.
Substitutes
Rodrigo Requelme (For Cesar Azpilicueta – 46‘) – 7/10: Drove his team forward and help the visitors to get back into the match.
Pablo Barrios (For Nahuel Molina – 46‘) – 6/10: Came onto the pitch in the second half but had little impact.
Angel Correa (For Alvaro Morata -46‘) – 7/10: Scored the equalizer with a good finish. He missed an easy chance when the match was 2-1.
Saul Niguez (For Rodrigo De Paul -84‘) – N/A: Came too late to help his side.
Manager
Diego Simeone – 6/10: His defenders let him down when it matters. The Argentine could use more offensive full-backs from the beginning and corrected his mistakes in the second half. He will regret the chances that were missed by the strikers in both legs.
