Villarreal has lost hopes of reaching 11 points in the old Westfalenstadion, the arithmetic bar that last season separated the classified from the eliminated after the first phase of the last Champions League. The Castellón team suffered a defeat, had another day of bad luck and has yet to gain more than a point in its fifth participation in the tournament.
The match ends with a bang after a first half of skirmishes. Marcelino has been training his players for months in the art of submitting to rival dominance without allowing themselves to be defeated. Dortmund spent the first 45 minutes with the ball under control but unable to generate any approaches or shots. Foyth, Veiga, Gueye and Partey blocked the finishing area and their goalkeeper remained inactive. Buchanan and Partey had two chances to take the lead after Pépé and Comesaña took advantage of the corridor behind Svensson, the local winger.
The most dangerous arrivals had been signed by Villarreal and Luis Júnior had made only one save after Adeyemi had surpassed Veiga in an adventure of dribbling and changes of pace, the only critical moment of the entire first half. The match was over in normal time before half-time when, after a corner kick, Anton took over Partey at the far post, touched the ball with his hand, Anselmino reached towards the post and there the giant Guirassy took the toll with the 1-0. The blow sank Villarreal in the locker room with the psychological weight that his eventful career in this Champions League brings with it.
Marcelino’s harangue launched his players on the attack. With very little to lose, Villarreal invaded their opponents’ pitch. The team was thrown off balance when Julian Brandt grabbed a ball like he had glue on his shoes. The Bremen poet’s gallop, rhythmic and heavy, caused a hasty escape in the visiting defense. Calm in the midst of the chase, Brandt didn’t mind being caught. He attracted his markers and released Adeyemi, his accomplice, who finished with pleasure. On the line, Foyth stops with his hand and the referee sends him off and awards the penalty scored by Guirassy. The 2-0 was followed by Adeyeni’s 3-0 and Svensson’s 4-0, symptoms of the collapse of a disconsolate team.
