Óscar and De Jong celebrate Sevilla FC's second goal

2-3: SEVILLA FC PUNISHED BY BORUSSIA DORTMUND PUNISHED IN AN ERRONEOUS FIRST HALF

17/02/2021
Two goals from Haaland and a long-range strike from Dahoud wiped out Suso's early opener. De Jong managed to bring Sevilla back into the tie in the final minutes

A difficult, but not impossible battle awaits Sevilla FC in Dortmund in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 in three weeks time. An incredible first half from the visitors, which completely wiped out Suso's early opener, brought them into the break 3-1 up and allowed them to shore up in the second half as Sevilla tried to get back into the tie. De Jong managed to do so near the end, as the team now travel to Germany with a negative result but with a glimmer of hope after Haaland and Dahoud had seemingly ended the tie.

The first half started off perfectly for Sevilla but the team would be feeling anything but positive when the referee blew for half time. After an intense start from the Germans, Julen Lopetegui's team managed to control possession and stop Dortmund's attacks. Sevilla would have an attack of their own, when Suso jinked in from the right, feigned to shoot with his left before cutting back on the right and firing in a shot that deflected off Hummels to give Sevilla the lead. However, Sevilla's reaction was to be short-lived as Dortmund continued in their pressure and managed to close Sevilla into their half.

Dahoud and two goals from Haaland turned around a scoreboard that Suso had opened in Sevilla's favour

In the 19th minute, after a throw-in in Sevilla's half, Dahoud fired in an incredible long-range strike into the top right-hand corner. The strike was impossible for Bono to reach and the match was levelled. Minutes later, Haaland would combine with Sancho in a one-two that left Haaland in the box and he managed to sneak a shot in just under Bono as the 'keeper was rushing out. Sevilla tried to react, looking to slow Dortmund down and get back into the game. A weak header from Diego Carlos after a deflection did not worry Hitz. And Dortmund's third would come just before the break. Sevilla lost the ball around the half-way line and Dortmund wasted no time in the counter-attack which ended with Haaland curling the ball past Bono and securing his second of the night.

Lopetegui made changes for the second half, bringing Gudelj on and switching to three at the back with Fernando joining Koundé and Diego Carlos. The tactic worked out for Sevilla as they began to get more on the ball and avoided the counters that had plagued them in the first half. With fifteen minutes gone in the second half, the first chance would come as Escudero had a shot from a good Jesús Navas cross, however the Spaniard's shot was blocked and went for a corner. Óliver Torres, Munir, and De Jong came on in a triple substitution to change the game.

Óscar almost got Sevilla's second with an incredible free-kick that hit the post

Óscar Rodríguez was the last substitute to be made and he almost had immediate impact as he fired in an incredible free-kick that hit the post and, as the rebound was heading in, hit off Hitz' hands. Borussia Dortmund had stopped searching for another goal as they sat back and looked to conserve their two-goal advantage. But Sevilla would not give up. In the 84th minute, Óscar fired in another free-kick, this time a cross to the back post where De Jong was waiting to volley home, cutting Dortmund's lead down to one goal. Sevilla looked for the third but it would not come, and the referee blew for full time after a late fightback from the Nervionenses.

 

GAME SUMMARY

2. SEVILLA FC: Bono, Jesús Navas, Koundé, Diego Carlos, Escudero, Fernando, Jordán (Óscar, 71'), Rakitic (Gudelj, 46'), Suso (Munir, 59'), Papu Gómez (Óliver Torres, 59') and En-Nesyri (De Jong, 59'). 

3. BORUSSIA DORTMUND: Hitz, Morey, Akanji, Hummels, Guerreiro (Passlack, 76'), Can, Dahoud (Meunier, 89'), Bellingham, Reus (Brandt, 79'), Sancho and Haaland.

GOALS: 1-0 Suso, 6'. 1-1 Dahoud, 19'. 1-2 Haaland, 27'. 1-3 Haaland, 43'. 2-3 De Jong, 84'.

REFEREE: Danny Makkelie, holandés. Bookings for Hummels, Óscar and Haaland.