Dortmund reaches the Champions League semi-finals

Germany’s Borussia Dortmund qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League after its exciting victory over its Spanish guest, Atletico Madrid, 4-2 on Tuesday, securing a place in the golden square for the first time since the 2012-2013 season.
The German team lost the first leg 1-2.

Julian Brandt (34), Dutchman Ian Matsan (39), Niklas Volkrug (71) and Austrian Marcel Sabitzer (74) scored for Dortmund, and Mats Hummels (accidentally in his own goal 49) and Argentine Angel Correa (64) scored for Atletico.

This is the second match in a row in which Dortmund has won over Atletico at Westfalenstadion by four, after defeating it 4-0 in the group stage of the 2018-2019 season.

After he entered the first leg in the absence of his top scorer, the Dutch Donyiel Malen, due to injury, coach Edin Terzic did not find among his attacking options in the position of outright striker except second scorer Niklas Volkrug, due to the injury of Ivory Coast’s Sebastien Haller, who scored the only goal in the first leg, to injury as well.
Terzic preferred to start with attacking midfielder Brandt, who participated as a substitute in the previous confrontation and raised the team’s offensive level, along with Englishman Jaydon Sancho, who missed the match against Borussia Mönchengladbach (2-1) in the league due to injury and recovered quickly.

On the other hand, Argentine coach Diego Simeone made only one change from the last confrontation, introducing Mario Hermoso in place of Brazilian Samuel Leno, who was absent due to an accumulation of warnings.

Dortmund pressed quickly and tried to open the scoring with a dangerous ball through Sabistre (3).

Striker Alvaro Morata responded by wasting an easier opportunity when he was alone with Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Koppel and recklessly shot next to the left post (4).

Argentine Rodrigo De Paul wanted to make up for what his colleague had missed with a powerful shot from outside the area, which Koppel blocked (5).

Brandt tried to score the first from a difficult angle, but Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak blocked his shot (16), before stopping Karim Adeyemi’s shot (18).

From the same angle, Brandt was able to open the scoring with a stronger shot that hit Oblak’s palm and completed its way into the goal (34).

The right side seemed weak for Atletico as the hosts intensified their attacks, so Matsan was able to penetrate the defense following a pass from Sabitzer and shot into the far left corner of the goalkeeper (39).

After Atletico failed to reach Dortmund’s goal in the first half, veteran centre-back Mats Hummels scored an own goal by mistake when he tried to clear a header from advanced Hermoso (50).

Substitute Correa almost added the second when he found himself facing goalkeeper Koppel following a pass from Koke, but he missed it near the left post (57).

Correa corrected his mistake when he dribbled and played a ground cross that reached the other substitute, Rodrigo Riquelme, who shot and was blocked by the goalkeeper. The ball dribbled in front of the Argentine, so he shot it the first time and it bounced off the defense, and the second time into the goal (64).

Dortmund turned the tables when Volkrug grabbed a third goal with his head after following a cross from Sabitzer (71).

After making two goals, it was Sabitzer’s turn to play the role of scorer when he received a ball that bounced off Dortmund’s defense, so he prepared it for himself and shot it to Oblak’s left (74).

Volkrug almost sealed the qualification with a powerful shot that was blocked by the Slovenian goalkeeper (81).

Oblak excelled again by blocking a strong shot from Sabitzer from the outskirts of the area (87).