Dortmund Triumphs Over Villarreal in Champions League Clash

Matchday five in the Champions League featured Borussia Dortmund hosting Spanish side Villarreal at Signal Iduna Park. Eager to recover from a disappointing 4-1 loss to Manchester City in their previous outing, Dortmund aimed for a strong performance.

Coach Niko Kovač made three changes to the lineup following a thrilling draw against Stuttgart. Aaron Anselmino, Yan Couto, and Daniel Svensson returned to the starting eleven, replacing Julian Ryerson, Ramy Bensebaini, and Maximilian Beier.

Dortmund began the match brightly, but Villarreal nearly took the lead when Tajon Buchanan capitalized on a fumble from Gregor Kobel, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside on the initial shot.

Despite dominating possession, Dortmund faced a significant threat from Villarreal, with Buchanan firing wide from the edge of the area during a rapid counterattack. The visitors squandered another golden opportunity when a well-executed free-kick routine set up Pape Gueye, whose shot sailed just over Kobel’s crossbar.

Remarkably, even while under pressure in the first half, Dortmund found the net just before the halftime whistle. A corner kick created a goalmouth scramble, culminating in Serhou Guirassy scoring from close range after a VAR review deemed no handball infringement by Waldemar Anton.

Early in the second half, Julian Brandt initiated a fast break, passing to Felix Nmecha, whose shot was expertly blocked by Renato Veiga. The ball subsequently fell to Karim Adeyemi, who was denied from close range by Juan Foyth, who was sent off after a VAR check for handling the ball on the goal line. Guirassy converted the ensuing penalty, initially saved by Luiz Júnior, but calmly followed up to score the rebound.

Dortmund quickly added a third goal as Adeyemi combined brilliantly with Brandt, with Partey’s attempted clearance deflecting off Adeyemi and looping over Júnior.

Another penalty was awarded to Dortmund with just ten minutes remaining when Adeyemi was brought down near the right byline. Fabio Silva stepped up to take the penalty but struck the crossbar, a disappointing moment for the Portuguese forward.

Dortmund capped off the match with style, as Pascal Groβ delivered an exceptional cross to Daniel Svensson at the far post, who headed home, marking Dortmund’s fourth goal and their fourth four-goal performance in this season’s Champions League.

The comfortable victory elevates BVB to fourth place in the group, and they will face Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt in their next match, where they aim to secure a favorable position for qualification to the knockout stage.

**Player Ratings:**
Gregor Kobel (6) – Aaron Anselmino (6), Waldemar Anton (5), Nico Schlotterbeck (6) – Yan Couto (5), Felix Nmecha (6), Marcel Sabitzer (6), Daniel Svensson (6) – Karim Adeyemi (8), Serhou Guirassy (6), Julian Brandt (7)
Others: Pascal Groβ (7), Chukwuemeka (6), Bellingham (6), Silva (5), Can (-)

After a challenging week for the German international, Adeyemi’s return to form was evident, proving to be a consistent threat to the Villarreal defense and justly rewarding himself with a goal.