A quick goal from Jadon Sancho and a precise strike in stoppage time from Marco Reus brought Borussia Dortmund victory in the second leg of the 1/8 finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Main events
2′: Benitez parries Maatsena’s shot
3′: Sancho scores from inside the box
16′: Brandt, Malen can’t beat the goalkeeper
53′: Lozano hits the post
71′: Male saves Bakayoko’s shot
90+4′: De Jong shoots high from a great position
90+5′: Royce converts one on one
Review
Jadon Sancho opens the scoringAFP via Getty Images
On Saturday, Sancho scored his first goal since returning to Dortmund and showed in the third minute of the match against PSV that he is now in excellent form. Julian Brandt received a pass on the penalty line and made a save, and the winger, on loan from Manchester United, fired a strong and accurate low shot from outside the penalty area.
Having secured an early lead, Edin Terzic’s team led the game confidently until the break, but after Hirving Lozano came on for the second half, PSV began to create more danger. In particular, the Mexican winger could have leveled the score almost immediately, but his long-range shot only shook the post.
However, PSV still worried Borussia’s defenders more than Gregor Kobel. Except that Johan Bakayoko forced the hosts’ goalkeeper to show his worth in the 71st minute. Deftly turning, the visiting winger found space in the penalty area and fired a shot that Kobel had difficulty parrying.
Peter Bosz’s team continued to press: Jordan Teze fired a dangerous half-volley, then Luuk de Jong fired over the crossbar from close range. But it all ended with the hosts’ second goal, when Royce ran away one on one and confidently beat the PSV goalkeeper. The victory earned Dortmund a place in the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2020/21 season.
Borussia – PSV 2:0 (aggregate 3:1). How it was
PlayStation® Man of the Match Award Winner: Jadon Sancho (Dortmund)
Man of the match: Jadon Sancho
“He started the game very well, created one-on-one situations and scored with a great shot from outside the box.”
UEFA technical observers
Borussia correspondent Matthias Retters
What a finale this match has! At first it seemed that Borussia would calmly put the finishing touches on the guests. But in the end, all the players in black and yellow uniforms had to tremble and shake, fighting back under the powerful pressure of the opponent. And when this tension became almost unbearable, the symbol of the Dortmund club, Marco Reus, scored such an important goal. Only football gives us such stories!
PSV correspondent Derek Brookman
After such a blistering start and an early goal from Dortmund, it seemed unlikely – almost impossible – that no one would score again in the next 90 minutes. The result was a bit unfair for Bosa’s team, especially given their excellent performance in the second half. But, like many teams before them, the visitors realized that any missed chance at this level can often be fatal.
Quotes
PSV fought well but ended up finishing in the tournamentAFP via Getty Images
Dortmund captain Emre Can: “We played great in the first 30 minutes. But then we slowed down, didn’t move well and weren’t brave enough. We weren’t always able to put pressure on them in attack. Now we’re looking forward to the quarter-finals. We’ll be there wait for big teams.”
Borussia striker Jadon Sancho: “There is no feeling better than this. I am glad that I managed to score a goal for the team. Borussia Dortmund will always have a special place in my heart, because this is where I made a name for myself. I am very grateful to the club and to my teammates for believing in me.”
Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic: “I think we deserved to reach the quarter-finals through hard work. We played perhaps our best 30 minutes of the season in the first half. We should have scored more than one goal in that period. Unfortunately, in the second “We stopped playing like that in the half, but we defended zealously. I lost my voice, this match took a lot of energy from me.”
PSV head coach Peter Bos: “We started the match poorly. After 30 minutes we finally took the game into our own hands, but unfortunately due to the pressure we didn’t score anything. We dominated the match, but the final pass didn’t go well. Perhaps “We were a little unlucky. It’s very painful that we lost here today. Relegation from the Champions League is always very bitter.”
PSV captain Luc de Jong: “We definitely could have done better: at least a draw. We dominated the second half without creating any big chances until the very end when I should have scored.”
Owen Hargreaves, TNT Sports
“It wasn’t good old Dortmund, but still they are in the top eight. Sometimes you just have to get the job done: they dominated the first half, PSV dominated the second.”
Dortmund celebrate victoryAFP via Getty Images
Key Statistics
- Dortmund are unbeaten in 18 of their last 20 Champions League matches at home (W11 D7).
- This is Dortmund’s first win in their last 10 play-off return matches, losing five of them.
- The German team have won nine of their last 10 playoff matches, having drawn their first leg away from home.
- PSV failed to score for only the second time in their last 13 European matches.
- Eindhoven have lost 14 of their last 17 matches away from home to German clubs, with three draws.
Best in Fantasy
Jadon Sancho – 13 points
Mats Hummels – 10 points
Ian Maatsen – 9 points
Composition
Borussia: Male; Can, Süle, Hummels, Maatsen; Sabitzer, Ezcan; Malen (Adeyemi 70), Brandt (Nmecha 58), Sancho (Reus 75), Füllkrug
PSV: Benitez; Teese, Schouten, Boscagli, Dest; Teal (Lozano, 46), Mauro Junior (Babadi, 86), Veerman (Pepi, 82); Bakayoko, de Jong, Tillman
What’s next?
Borussia will take part in the quarter-final draw on March 15, live broadcast on UEFA.com. The first quarter-final legs will take place on April 9 and 10, with the return legs a week later.