Borussia Dortmund secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon in their UEFA Champions League play-off round tie on Tuesday. The German side, under new coach Niko Kovac, delivered a strong second-half performance to take a firm grip on the two-legged contest.
Guinean forward Serhou Guirassy was the star of the night, scoring the opener and assisting another to cement Dortmund’s advantage. His goal, a well-placed looping header, came in the 60th minute and made him the competition’s leading scorer with ten goals.
Soon after, he turned provider with a perfectly delivered cross that allowed Pascal Gross to double the lead. Karim Adeyemi added the finishing touch with a well-executed third goal, sealing an impressive away performance.
Sporting began the match confidently, controlling possession and creating early chances. Francisco Trincão tested Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel with a long-range effort, while Maxi Araujo struck the crossbar with a powerful shot. Conrad Harder, filling in for injured top scorer Viktor Gyökeres, also forced Kobel into a crucial save.
Young midfielder Joao Simoes had a promising opportunity just outside the box, but his shot lacked power and was easily collected by Kobel. Meanwhile, Dortmund’s first real threat came from Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who cut inside from the left and fired just wide of the post.
Guirassy had a golden opportunity to score before halftime but missed from close range. However, the offside flag spared him any regret.
After a slow first half, Dortmund emerged with greater intent. Rui Silva denied Adeyemi’s quick shot, and Gittens had another effort blocked as Dortmund increased the pressure. Sporting responded by bringing on Gyökeres to change the game’s momentum, but Dortmund struck first.
Guirassy’s well-timed header from Julian Brandt’s cross broke the deadlock, putting the visitors ahead. Nico Schlotterbeck made a crucial tackle to stop Gyökeres from equalizing before Dortmund extended their lead.
Guirassy set up the second goal with a sharp cross, which Gross managed to convert with an improvised finish. The final goal came through a swift counterattack, as Adeyemi played a one-two with Brandt before tapping home to make it 3-0.
With this victory, Dortmund not only claimed their first win under Kovac but also kept a clean sheet for the first time in 14 matches. Sporting now faces a tough challenge in the second leg, set for February 19 in Dortmund.
