Guirassy's Goal Gives Dortmund Edge Over Augsburg Before Man City Showdown
Serhou Guirassy netted in the first half to hand Borussia Dortmund a narrow 1-0 victory against Augsburg on Friday, acting as a tune-up for their Champions League visit to Manchester City next week.
This result lifted Dortmund into second spot in the Bundesliga, sitting four points adrift of table-toppers Bayern Munich, who will welcome Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
Dortmund displayed resilience yet lacked flair versus a beleaguered Augsburg outfit, which has managed just one win from its previous eight fixtures.
The contest offered scant opportunities for both teams, and the away side relied on an Augsburg blunder to forge ahead eight minutes from the interval.
Chrislain Matsima's attempted clearance ricocheted off teammate Han-Noah Massengo, leaving the ball in an ideal position for Guirassy.
The Guinea international settled it with one touch before unleashing a shot that slipped through the fingers of Augsburg custodian Finn Dahmen. It was Guirassy's initial Bundesliga strike since mid-September.
The kick-off faced postponement as Dortmund supporters hurled tennis balls across the pitch, voicing displeasure at the delayed start and urging all Bundesliga games to shift to Saturday afternoons.
Following a taxing 120-minute German Cup success at Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday via penalties, Dortmund manager Niko Kovac shuffled his lineup with six fresh inclusions.
He bench-warmed several staples and opted to rest defender and skipper Nico Schlotterbeck back at base owing to a minor cold.
The scoreline prolonged Augsburg's troubles beneath novice boss Sandro Wagner, once a forward for Bayern Munich and Germany.
Augsburg, ousted from the German Cup by second-tier Bochum earlier in the week, has suffered defeat in six of nine league outings this term and hovers three points beyond the relegation scrap.
Dortmund and City approach their Wednesday Champions League fixture evenly poised on seven points apiece after three group phase rounds.