Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Sabah FK: Guirassy brace gets Dortmund back to winning ways

Borussia Dortmund got themselves back to winning ways in the UEFA Champions League as they edged past a very impressive Sabah FK side in Azerbaijan, thanks to a Serhou Guirassy brace.

Guirassy opened the scoring in the 10th minute after Felix Nmecha’s low effort from the edge of the box could only be parried into the path of the Guinean centre-forward, who made no mistake from eight yards out.

Sabah managed to equalise before half-time through an Aden McCarthy header following a corner, but Dortmund restored their lead in the 53rd minute thanks to a marvellous delivery from Joey Veerman and a superb finish from Guirassy.

The German side held their opponents at bay to secure all three points.

German fans flocked in their thousands across Europe and into Azerbaijan for their side’s away fixture at the Bank Respublika Arena. 

After a priceless win over Slavia Prague last week, Sabah came into Tuesday night’s game full of confidence, ready to take on the 2024 UEFA Champions League finalists.

However, Dortmund held the majority of possession in the opening stages and, despite few clear chances being created, the visitors looked the more accomplished side.

Sabah’s defenders held strong against the pressure and threatened to cause problems on the counter-attack, but they struggled to turn those breaks into meaningful opportunities.

Their defensive resolve was cracked after 10 minutes. 

Stas Pokatilov, who made six saves in Sabah’s historic win over Slavia Prague, could only push Nmecha’s low effort into Guirassy’s path. 

The striker slotted home to put the travelling Black and Yellow fans into celebration.

Sabah responded through Ivan Lepinjica, whose right-footed effort flew comfortably over the bar. 

The game then became increasingly even and scrappy, with neither side able to easily bypass the opposing defence. 

Guirassy missed a headed opportunity to add his second, while Sabah threatened with a flurry of efforts as the half progressed.

Dortmund looked to go up another gear but were largely restricted to long-range efforts that failed to trouble Pokatilov.

Their inability to extend the lead came back to bite them in the 39th minute when Sabah won a corner. 

Tymoteusz Puchacz curled the delivery towards the far post, where Aden McCarthy rose highest to power home a header and make it 1-1.

The equaliser gave the home supporters real promise heading into the second half, but it was Dortmund who started the period stronger.

Julian Ryerson fired over early on as the visitors looked to regain the advantage.

On 53 minutes, the lead was restored, and the Yellow and Black section of the ground rose in jubilation. 

If the first goal was scrappy, the second was pure class. 

Veerman’s first-time ball from deep swung across the box and met Guirassy’s stride perfectly, allowing the prolific frontman to turn the ball over Pokatilov and into the roof of the net.

Sabah struggled to put pressure back on Dortmund after conceding, while the visitors also found it difficult to create much more. 

They got themselves into good positions but lacked the intricacy required in the final pass to create clear chances.

Before kick-off, Dortmund manager Niko Kovac claimed his side were “clear favourites and [had] to win”, while acknowledging that if they “want to win, we have to score”. 

He will be satisfied with the three points, but there are still things for the Black and Yellow to work on before they can set their sights on reaching another Champions League final.

Dortmund currently sit ninth in the Champions League league-phase table, with the remaining fixtures still to come. 

Their next European fixture against Real Betis offers another opportunity to build momentum. Sabah sit 24th and will look to respond against Qarabağ.

With just 11 goals scored in the league and five in Europe, Dortmund need to find a consistent answer in front of goal. 

However, Guirassy’s brace could provide the platform for him to become their trusted goalscorer for the remainder of the season, something Kovac will certainly hope for.