Guirassy brace powers Dortmund past Villarreal in Champions League opener
Quick summary
Serhou Guirassy scored twice as Borussia Dortmund opened their UEFA Champions League campaign with a victory over Villarreal.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceBorussia Dortmund 3-2 Villarreal Goals: 1-0 Veiga (own goal) 53', 1-1 Mouriño 66' (assist: Mikautadze), 2-1 Guirassy 80' (assist: Silva), 3-2 Guirassy 85' (pen.)
After back-to-back Bundesliga wins and a DFB Cup first-round triumph, Dortmund had the chance to make it fours wins in succession versus a Villarreal side that were yet to win under new head coach Iñigo Pérez. Niko Kovač made two changes to his starting XI, bringing in Joey Veerman and Marcel Sabitzer for Jobe Bellingham and the injured Filippo Mané .
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What happened
Borussia Dortmund kicked off their Champions League league phase with a win over Villarreal, powered by a brace from striker Serhou Guirassy. The result gives Dortmund an early three points in the competition. Guirassy's goals underline his importance to Dortmund's attack following his summer arrival and reinforce his strong form in European competition.
Chance analysis
Dortmund's opening night in the Champions League was settled by the man they've built their attack around. Guirassy has quickly established himself as the focal point of Niko Kovač's forward line, and a brace against seasoned European opposition like Villarreal is exactly the kind of statement performance that validates the club's investment. For Villarreal, the defeat extends a worrying run of European away struggles and puts pressure on their group-stage campaign from day one.
Dortmund gain an early Champions League win and momentum; Villarreal start their European campaign with a loss.