The first semi-finalist of Champions League was defined. On Tuesday afternoon, Borussia Dortmund beat Atlético de Madrid 4-2 and once again secured their place among the four best teams in Europe after 11 years. The last time they reached this stage was in 2013, the year they lost the title to Bayern.
Brandt, Maatsen, Fullkrug and Sabitzer found the net for the German team, while Hummels (own goal) and Correa scored for the Spanish team in a duel played at Signal Iduna Park.
With the result, Borussia Dortmund advanced to the semi-finals with an aggregate score of 5-4 – the German club managed to reverse the score, as they had been defeated in the first leg by 2-1.
Now, both teams return to focusing on their respective national championships. For the 30th round of the Alemão, Borussia Dortmund takes on already champions Bayer Leverkusen this Sunday, starting at 12:30 pm (Brasília time), at Signal Iduna Park.
On the other hand, Atlético de Madrid returns to the pitch for the 32nd round of the Spanish. The Madrid team faces Alavés, also this Sunday, at 1:30 pm, at the Mendizorrotza Stadium.
The game
Borussia Dortmund started the match by putting a lot of pressure on Atlético de Madrid. Just two minutes into the game, the team missed an incredible opportunity. Adeyemi invaded the penalty area on the left side and crossed backwards, but at the time of the strike, already inside the small area, Sabitzer was stopped by Azpilicueta.
After four minutes, Atlético de Madrid responded with a clear chance to score that was wasted by Morata. The attacker took off at speed and came face to face with goalkeeper Kobel, but made a mistake in the direction of the cavadinha touch and ended up sending it out.
In the 17th minute, Borussia threatened Atlético’s goal again. After a cross, the Spanish team’s defense cleared it, but the ball fell to Emre Can. The steering wheel hit at first, but Oblak fit it easily.
It was in the 33rd minute that the German pressure paid off. Hummels found a good pass for Brandt, who dominated inside the area. The midfielder took the lead and shot low, crossed, to open the scoring at Signal Iduna Park.
THIS IS BORUSSIA DORTMUND!
⭐️ #BVBAthleti 1:0 (2:2) #UCL ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/Qu97aqaKCR
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) April 16, 2024
Five minutes later, the home team extended their lead. Maatsen made a great move on the left side, entered the penalty area and finished with a cross to make it 2-0 for Borussia.
However, shortly after the break, Atlético de Madrid reduced the lead and left everything equal on the aggregate score. After a corner kick from Griezmann, Hermoso headed the ball. Hummels tried to take it out with his foot as he stretched, but ended up taking it from goalkeeper Kobel and the ball ended up in the back of the net.
With 12 minutes of the final stage, Atlético de Madrid had another chance. Ángel Correa came face to face with goalkeeper Kobel, but with the marking on top, he hit too badly and sent it across the baseline.
And it was in the 19th minute that the Spanish equalizer came. After Correa’s low cross, Rodrigo Riquelme stayed with it and shot at the goal for Kobel to save. On the rebound, Correa tried twice until he hit Borussia Dortmund’s net: 2-2.
But with 25 minutes, the Germans reacted. Sabitzer appeared on the left and crossed into the penalty area. Fullkrug got in front of the Spanish defense and rose higher to head the ball. Before ending up in the back of the goal, the ball still hit the post.
A minute later, the German team increased their lead to stay ahead on aggregate again. The ball fell to Sabitzer in the penalty area and the Austrian hit a beautiful shot to score what was the qualifying goal for the home team. This is how Borussuia Dortmund advanced to the semi-finals of this edition of the Champions League.
SEMI-FINALS ONLY WITH BORUSSIA DORTMUND! 💛
⭐️ #BVBAthleti 4:2 (5:4) #UCL ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/U6CiOGN3TX
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) April 16, 2024
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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