Champions League: Dortmund Advances to Semi-Finals in Heart-Stopping Match
The Yellow and Blacks defeated Atletico Madrid 4-2 in a thrilling match and will face PSG in the semi-finals.
What a game it was between Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid! In theory, it might have been considered the least interesting match of the Champions League quarter-finals, but it turned out differently. The mission for the Yellow and Blacks was tough but entirely achievable: to turn around the tie they were losing 2-1 after the defeat in Madrid. The Signal Iduna Park was filled, as usual, to act as the 12th man.
The first clear chance of the game fell to the home team. Right at the start (3′), Sabitzer missed a clear goal opportunity. Adeyemi set up the Austrian brilliantly, who probably got dazzled by his teammate’s pass and, facing Oblak, allowed Azpilicueta to make a crucial interception.
The early minutes were a back-and-forth affair. After Dortmund’s great opportunity, Atletico responded with a glorious miss by Morata, who failed to chip Kobel in a one-on-one as his attempt went wide of the Swiss goalkeeper’s left post.
The game cooled down, and interestingly, it was during this phase that Dortmund took the lead. In the 34th minute, Mats Hummels, playing his 500th game for Dortmund, played a trivela pass to Julian Brandt, who, inside the box, shifted to his left foot and shot into Oblak’s net. Without giving Atletico much time to react, Dortmund managed to turn the tie around before halftime. Sabitzer made up for his early miss by setting up Maatsen for the 2-0 lead (39′). As the teams headed to the locker rooms, the advantage was in favor of the Yellow and Blacks, but the tie was far from over.
In search of a result, Diego Simeone brought on Barrios, Correa, and Riquelme early in the second half, choices that proved effective. Atletico Madrid pressed Dortmund until they finally forced an error at 49 minutes. Mats Hummels, who was instrumental in the first goal, scored an own goal this time, leveling the tie once again.
By the 64th minute, Angel Correa responded to Simeone’s trust by scoring a hard-earned goal to make it 2-2, pushing Atletico into the lead in the aggregate score. However, as they say, the game is not over until the referee blows the final whistle. The Yellow Wall pushed the team forward, and Dortmund’s players responded. Sabitzer provided another assist, this time to striker Fullkrug, who outjumped Giménez to head the ball into Oblak’s net, leaving the goalkeeper stranded.
After two assists, it was Sabitzer’s turn to score. Three minutes after assisting Fullkrug, Sabitzer ignited the Signal Iduna Park with joy by scoring the 4-2 goal, solidifying Dortmund’s turnaround in the tie for the second time in the match – and this time, it was final. The Yellow and Blacks held on until the final whistle and secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals.
