Pinterest
Dortmund Advance to Champions League Semis with Thrilling Comeback
Late Goals and Assists Send Borussia Dortmund Past Atletico Madrid
April 16, 2024
DORTMUND, Germany – In a thrilling Champions League quarter-final clash, Borussia Dortmund overcame a spirited Atletico Madrid side with a 4-2 victory on aggregate. Substitute Marcel Sabitzer played a pivotal role, setting up two goals and scoring the winner in the dying moments.
Borussia Dortmund entered the second leg with a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Madrid. However, the visitors struck first in the second half through a stunning Joao Felix strike. Dortmund responded through an Erling Haaland header, but a second goal from Marcos Llorente put Atletico ahead on aggregate.
With the tie slipping away, Dortmund manager Lucien Favre made a tactical switch, introducing Sabitzer for Julian Brandt. The Austrian midfielder's impact was immediate. He provided the assist for Haaland's second goal of the night, leveling the aggregate score at 4-4.
As the clock ticked down, Sabitzer played a perfect pass into the path of Thorgan Hazard, who slotted the ball home to put Dortmund ahead for the first time in the tie. With time almost up, Sabitzer sealed the victory with a clinical finish, sending his team into the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in 11 years.
Dortmund will now face either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals. The German side will be confident of causing another upset, having now defeated both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the knockout stages. Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, will be left to rue their missed chances and lack of consistency in the latter stages of the competition.
Pinterest
Comments