NEW DELHI:
Borussia Dortmund
charged into the
Champions League
semi-finals with an electrifying 4-2 victory at home over
Atletico Madrid
on Tuesday. Overcoming a 2-1 deficit from the first leg, they triumphed 5-4 on aggregate.
Scoring twice in the opening half, the German squad seemed poised for an easy passage to the next round. However, Atletico mounted a spirited comeback early in the second half, netting two goals to put Dortmund under pressure.
Yet, Dortmund rallied, displaying resilience and determination to secure a remarkable comeback victory.
The game got off to a flying start, and midfielder Marcel Sabitzer was only prevented from putting the home side ahead in the third minute by a last-ditch block from Cesar Azpilicueta as the home side came flying out of the blocks.
Julian Brandt put Dortmund level on aggregate in the 34th minute, latching on to a brilliant pass from Mats Hummels and firing home, and five minutes later Dortmund took the lead in the quarter-final tie as Ian Maatsen cut in from the left and drilled a perfectly-placed shot in at the foot of the far post.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone made a triple substitution at the break and it paid dividends almost immediately as Dortmund defender Hummels turned the ball into his own net in the 49th minute, and substitute Angel Correa put the Spaniards back in the lead in the tie in the 64th minute, scoring at the second attempt.
However, the home side struck back and striker Niclas Fuellkrug made it 4-4 on aggregate with a brilliant glancing header from Sabitzer's cross in the 74th minute.
The home fans had barely retaken their seats following that goal when Sabitzer popped up on the edge of the box, steadying himself with an excellent first touch before drilling home the winner in front of an ecstatic crowd three minutes later. (Reporting by Philip O'Connor Editing by Toby Davis)
(With inputs from Reuters)
English (US) ·