The Dortmund pros, including match winner Jamie Gittens, were celebrated by the fans who had travelled with them. Despite a rather modest performance at the beginning, BVB started the new Champions League season with a 3-0 (0-0) win against Belgian champions FC Bruges. Substitute Gittens scored twice in the closing stages (76th and 86th minutes), before Serhou Guirassy (90th+5), who also only came on in the second half, scored his first goal for Dortmund from a penalty.
Although coach Nuri Sahin’s team showed little of the shine that had carried the Bundesliga club to the final against Real Madrid last season, they are currently ranked in the upper echelons of the reformed premier class with one league for all clubs.
“Today is a good day,” said Gittens with a smile on the streaming service DAZN. Julian Brandt said: “You can still score goals at the end of the game. (…) The first half was tough. We ran a lot and allowed a lot of good chances. It was a lot of work.” But what also sets the team apart is “that our bench also scores the goals,” said Brandt. “We have a good squad across the board.”
“The thrill” of the premier class
109 days after losing the final, Dortmund heard the Champions League anthem again in the stadium, Sahin for the first time as BVB head coach. He had “slept well,” the 36-year-old reported shortly before kick-off, but in the Jan Breydel Stadium, “the tingling sensation” began early on.
The Bundesliga team, which qualified for the most successful league as fifth in the table via UEFA’s special regulation, started well. Donyell Malen could have taken the lead in the fourth minute from a promising position, but the striker’s shot was a little too inaccurate. Bruges goalkeeper Simon Mignolet had no trouble with Karim Adeyemi’s long-range shot (7′).
However, there was no sign of the previous season’s finalists being particularly dominant. Bruges, currently second in the Belgian Pro League, held up well and kept looking for opportunities to counterattack. Dortmund also had a lot of luck when the hosts had several chances – and Gregor Kobel. The goalkeeper made a strong save against Raphael Onyedika after shots from the Belgians were blocked. Hugo Vetlesen only hit the crossbar with the blocked ball (12′).
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Three changes after the victory in the Bundesliga
Compared to the 4-2 win against 1. FC Heidenheim, Sahin decided to make three changes to the starting lineup, with Guirassy, among others, initially sitting on the bench after his BVB debut on Friday. “We have a really high-quality squad and the boys know how I feel about it,” Sahin said.
By half-time, the role model of the first few minutes had solidified. BVB had significantly more possession, played significantly more passes, but rarely got behind the hosts’ tight defense. Bruges looked more dangerous on the rare counterattacks. Former Düsseldorf player Christos Tzolis wanted a penalty after a challenge with Nico Schlotterbeck in the Dortmund penalty area, but was denied (33′). Andreas Skov Olsen tested Kobel a little later (37′).
The Joker hits
Sahin did not make any substitutions during the break, but the players on the pitch only partially rewarded his trust. After a free kick from Marcel Sabitzer missed the post, Hans Vanaken had a shot in the Dortmund penalty area, but the shot was too high (55th minute). Guirassy and Waldemar Anton were then substituted for Malen and Ramy Bensebaini (59th minute).
The next good chance fell to Bruges when Kobel had to intervene when Vetlesen shot (63′). The hosts were much closer to the lead during this phase, which seemed to visibly annoy Sahin on the sidelines. The coach kept shouting instructions onto the pitch – and brought on Gittens for Sabitzer (68′).
Eight minutes later, the 20-year-old did what a substitute is supposed to do: After a pass from Emre Can, Gittens beat goalkeeper Mignolet with a deflected shot and was celebrated for the first time by the traveling BVB fans. The offensive player scored his second goal after a strong individual effort – the game was decided, but the third Dortmund goal still helped the table statistics.
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