And missed two more penaltiesAfter Villarreal’s red card for handball, BVB really went ahead
Borussia Dortmund celebrates an important group win in the Champions League. There were hardly any good results against FC Villarreal in the first half, but then a surprise lead came. After the break, the Spanish team destroyed themselves.
Serhou Guirassy ran across the yard wearing a thick winter jacket and received congratulations from his teammates. In the first critical phase of the season, BVB’s life insurance could once again be relied on before a decent early change: the 29-year-old helped Borussia Dortmund break away.
After three consecutive competitive matches without a win, Guirassy paved the way to a 4-0 (1-0) win against Villarreal FC with two goals. In the Champions League, Dortmund got back on track after their third three-pointer, and the bad mood of recent days brightened up.
“We closed the first half better, that was important. The red card was good for us. In general, we almost didn’t let anything go and in the second half it was very good,” said national player Nico Schlotterbeck on Prime Video: “Serhou didn’t have an easy time either. He had our trust and that’s what you have to do as a striker.” Guirassy scored at the end of a very weak first half to take an undeserved lead (45 + 2) and thus end a personal goal drought: since mid-September, the striker, who was the top scorer in the first class last season, has scored only two goals in twelve games.
Red according to video evidence
Shortly after the break, Guirassy continued. He initially missed a hand penalty, but managed a follow-up shot (54th). Juan Foyth kept the ball on the goal line with his arm – according to video evidence, the Villarreal defender was shown a red card (53′). Karim Adeyemi, who returned to the starting line-up for the first time since the weapons possession affair, made it 3-0 (58). Fábio Silva then fired a penalty onto the crossbar (82′), before Daniel Svensson (90’+5) saved the final point.
After the disappointing 3:3 result against VfB Stuttgart and the members’ harsh slap against club boss Hans-Joachim Watzke during his narrow election as club president, the win was good for BVB. With ten points after five games, the knockout stages of the Champions League are almost certain, and the top eight and direct entry to the last 16 are within reach again.
BVB is too slow, too imprecise and too unimaginative
After a slow start where the visitors didn’t really want the ball and Dortmund didn’t know what to do, Adeyemi fired Dortmund’s first shot – and it almost hit the scoreboard behind the corner flag (21′). Villarreal had no difficulty keeping the ball out of their own goal because BVB played too slow, too imprecise and too unimaginative.
The situation became more dangerous when the “Yellow Submarine” appeared in the Dortmund penalty area: Tajon Buchanan shot completely freely, but did not hit the ball properly (27), Pape Gueye’s shot bounced over the goal after a free kick (31). Slight changes to Kovac’s team’s game. When in doubt, the ball is played across or backwards. Dissatisfaction gradually spread in the stands, and the southern stands sang against it.
By dribbling the ball into the penalty area, Adeyemi caused a stir in front of the Spanish goal for the first time just before the break (45). Moments later the ball was still in the goal: Guirassy headed it there after a corner kick, the video assistant checked for a possible handball by Waldemar Anton, but did not object. After the restart, Foyth saved with his arm after Adeyemi’s shot at the goal line. Guirassy’s penalty kick was saved by goalkeeper Luiz Junior, but he deflected the ball right at the BVB striker’s feet. Suddenly the bad mood disappeared.
