Borussia Dortmund were back in Champions League action at the Westfalenstadion for
the first time this season, facing a stern test in the form of Basque Country outfit
Athletic Club, with BVB looking to kickstart their league phase after the capitulation
suffered in Turin last time out.
Bilbao were without star man Nico Williams for the meeting in the Ruhrgebiet — news
that was surely welcomed by Niko Kovač.
Daniel Svensson opened the scoring after a low cross from Karim Adeyemi, almost
exactly mirroring the Swede’s goal at the Mewa Arena on Saturday.
Carney Chukwuemeka doubled the lead five minutes after the interval with an astute
finish past Unai Simón. However, the breathing space did not last long, as a mix-up at
the back between Waldemar Anton and Niklas Süle gifted Gorka Guruzeta an easy
opportunity to pull one back for the Spaniards.
BVB restored their cushion with eight minutes left through a massive stroke of luck.
Marcel Sabitzer tried his luck from 20 yards, and the ball deflected off Serhou Guirassy,
wrong-footing Simón in the Bilbao goal. A fourth and final Dortmund strike came in
stoppage time courtesy of Julian Brandt.
Wingbacks growing influence
The influence of Dortmund’s wingbacks so far this season has been clear for all to see,
whether it’s Daniel Svensson on the left or the combination of Julian Ryerson and Yan
Couto on the right.
Svensson grabbed his second goal in as many games, while Ryerson continued to
provide a constant threat on the opposite flank.
Kovač’s wingbacks are adding an extra dimension in attack — especially valuable on a
night like this, when Adeyemi and Guirassy weren’t at their best.
Defensive solidity
Allowing the wingbacks to the freedom to go forward as much as they do has been down
to Dortmund’s solidity at the back.
Despite not securing the sixth clean sheet of the season that Gregor Kobel would have
wanted, BVB once again limited their opponents to very few chances.
Bilbao rallied after halving the deficit — capitalising on a rare mistake from Dortmund’s
backline — but the hosts held firm thereafter. A textbook oƯside trap also denied Bilbao
an equaliser.
Strength in depth
Despite making five changes from the starting 11 in their Bundesliga victory over Mainz,
Dortmund showcased their depth and experience on the big stage.
Carney Chukwuemeka underlined his quality by scoring BVB’s second goal of the game,
staking his claim for more regular minutes.
Niklas Süle, Julian Ryerson, and Jobe Bellingham all returned to the lineup, while
Guirassy’s return from injury added further firepower.
GGFN | Harry Good
