Serhou Guirassy impressed Borussia Dortmund to a 3-0 win at Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday to assist the German aspect take management of the Champions League play-off spherical tie.
Guinea worldwide Guirassy grew to become the competitors’s outright high scorer together with his tenth purpose after an hour earlier than turning supplier with a positive cross for Pascal Gross to web the second for final season’s runners-up.
Karim Adeyemi struck the third as Dortmund’s fast counter-attack sliced open the hosts on the Jose Alvalade Stadium to finish their first leg victory.
Sporting managed the primary half however Dortmund stepped up a number of gears within the second to say their first win beneath new coach Niko Kovac, in his second match on the helm.
“The lads did an important job,” mentioned Kovac, praising his group’s “mentality, physicality and aggression”.
Dortmund saved their first clear sheet in 14 matches throughout all competitions as they confirmed flashes of the standard which noticed them stun Europe’s giants final season.
“That (win) was necessary,” Gross advised Amazon Prime.
“You can inform within the first half that we weren’t brimming with confidence, however after the break, we performed a really first rate sport.”
Sporting, who completed twenty third within the group part and solely simply prevented the reduce, performed with confidence within the first half and made the early advances.
Rui Borges, appointed in December to exchange Ruben Amorim’s struggling successor Joao Pereira, has steadied the ship shortly in Lisbon.
Former Barcelona ahead Francisco Trincao’s effort from vary was caught by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and Maxi Araujo’s vicious strike cracked in opposition to the crossbar with the stopper crushed.
Kobel used his forearm to maintain out a rocket from Conrad More durable, beginning up entrance instead of high scorer Viktor Gyokeres, on the bench after a thigh damage.
Former Bayern Munich coach Kovac’s Dortmund threatened for the primary time late within the half when winger Jamie Gittens reduce in from the left with menace and pinged an effort narrowly large.
– ‘Struggle till the top’ –
Dortmund, who solely simply missed out on a high eight end and computerized progress to the final 16, got here out with way more intent within the second half and claimed their reward.
Rui Silva made a positive save to palm away Adeyemi’s snap-shot and Gittens had a shot blocked after surging into the realm.
Sporting responded by sending on Gyokeres for More durable, aiming to show the momentum again of their favour.
Nonetheless Dortmund took the lead moments later, with Guirassy netting with an excellent looping header over Silva, from Julian Brandt’s cross.
Nico Schlotterbeck bravely slid in to maintain Gyokeres at bay earlier than former Brighton midfielder Gross grabbed Dortmund’s second.
Guirassy produced an excellent whipped ball into the hazard space from the correct and Gross used his leg to improvise a end from just a few yards out.
With Sporting eager to discover a foothold, Dortmund sprung ahead on the counter to web their third.
Adeyemi fed Brandt and darted into the field, tapping house when the midfielder put the ball on a plate for him.
“After the (first) purpose our spirits dropped and we felt it bodily… the consequence ended up being unfair,” mentioned Sporting coach Borges.
“Within the Champions League we should be at 200 p.c and we’re not even at 100%.”
The defeat leaves Sporting dealing with an uphill problem within the second leg in Dortmund on February 19.
“In Dortmund, we’ll go along with the mentality of attempting to win, we all know will probably be tough, however we’re Sporting and we’ll battle till the top,” mentioned defender Matheus Reis.
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