Guirassy nets brace in Dortmunds easy win over 10-man Villarreal

Serhou Guirassy netted two goals as Borussia Dortmund secured a comfortable 4-0 victory against 10-man Villarreal in their home Champions League fixture on Tuesday.

This marked Dortmunds initial triumph across all competitions since October, propelling the 2024 Champions League finalists to fourth position in the standings after five outings.

The previous seasons shared leading Champions League marksman, Guirassy had only scored once in his preceding nine outings, yet he nodded Dortmund ahead mere moments before the interval.

Villarreal skipper Juan Foyth received a dismissal shortly into the second half following a VAR examination that deemed he had handled a shot destined for goal from Karim Adeyemi, escalating his caution to a sending-off.

Guirassys spot-kick was capably stopped by Villarreal custodian Luiz Junior, though the Guinean forward followed up to slot home the rebound and extend Dortmunds advantage.

Adeyemi found the target approaching the 30-minute juncture by collecting a clever backheel from Julian Brandt. Adeyemi forced ex-Arsenal playmaker Thomas Partey into a hasty clearance, which deflected off the Germans knee into the net.

With eight minutes left, Adeyemi surged into the penalty area once more and earned a penalty, but replacement forward Fabio Silva struck his effort onto the bar.

In added time, Daniel Svensson nodded in a delivery from Pascal Gross, who had been fed an excellent long ball from Jobe Bellingham along the flank, to embellish the scoreline.

Chatting to Amazon Prime, Dortmund leader Nico Schlotterbeck conceded the dismissal benefited them, yet noted they improved post-interval, which proved crucial.

In the latter period it flowed smoothly. That matched our expectations.

Boost for morale

Schlotterbeck indicated Guirassys pair of strikes would ignite the forwards resurgence, notwithstanding his recent dry spell.

Serhou has faced challenges lately. The manager has backed him fully, and we are building his assurance.

He did not strike the penalty cleanly, but ultimately he converted it. He will improve on the next occasion.

Guirassy hailed the success as vital for squad morale.

We must perform like this to rank among the elite globally, stated the 29-year-old from Guinea.

It counts as a key triumph versus a strong opponent. We are delighted with the outcome.

The defeat extended Villarreal's struggles in European action this term, even amid a solid showing in domestic play.

In this Champions League campaign, the minor yet pivotal details frequently elude us. Such elements decide matters at this tier, remarked Villarreal boss Marcelino.

Villarreal have garnered a single point from five Champions League encounters, yet occupy third in La Liga, trailing frontrunners Real Madrid by three points.