Dortmund’s Second-Half Surge Dismantles Sporting in Lisbon First Leg

Borussia Dortmund secured their first away victory in a UEFA Champions League knockout tie in over a decade, triumphing 3-0 against Sporting CP at the Estádio José Alvalade.

While Sporting concluded their league campaign on a four-match winless streak, they still had reasons for optimism, particularly given that reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League is a rarity for Os Leões.

Despite a commendable performance during the league stage, Dortmund’s form in the Bundesliga highlighted that Die Schwarzgelben are not firing on all cylinders this season, with the home side dominating much of the first half.

Maximiliano Araujo came closest to breaking the deadlock, his long-range attempt smashing against the crossbar with just 15 minutes played.

Sporting, who were unbeaten at home under new manager Rui Borges (W4, D1), crafted another promising opportunity just before half-time when Harder’s cross from the byline connected with João Simões, whose shot from just outside the area was straight at Kobel.

Understanding the need for improvement, the German side stepped it up in the second half, and they started brightly with Karim Adeyemi forcing Rui Silva into a save with a long-range strike.

The match appeared to need a spark, and Serhou Guirassy seemed the most likely to provide it.

The Guinean attacker has been in sensational form in this tournament, and when Julian Brandt delivered a cross from the right flank, Guirassy was quick to capitalise, rising above the defenders to guide a looping header past Silva for his 10th goal of the Champions League season, putting him level with Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski.

After netting the opener, Guirassy turned creator eight minutes later with a precise delivery into the box that found Pascal Groß, who cleverly redirected the ball into the net with his thigh, extending Dortmund’s lead to a comfortable margin.

They capped off their impressive performance with a third goal in the closing stages, as Adeyemi finished a well-executed counter-attack to conclude a perfect night for the visitors.

This result leaves Sporting with a significant challenge ahead if they are to advance to the last 16 for only the second time since the 2008/09 season, while Dortmund remains on track in their pursuit of a second consecutive final, showcasing their excellent form in the current campaign.