Borussia Dortmund suffer UEFA Champions League defeat against Bodø/Glimt
Borussia Dortmund suffered a 1-0 defeat against Norwegian outfit Bodø/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, with Fredrik Sjøvold’s second-half strike the difference.
Bodø/Glimt 1-0 Borussia Dortmund
Goals: 1-0 Sjøvold 52’ (assist: Auklend)
Niko Kovač made five changes to the Dortmund side that had drawn 2-2 with Werder Bremen, with Ramy Bensebaini, Joey Veerman, Konstantinos Karetsas, Samuele Inácio and Fabio Silva all handed starts, while Felix Nmecha, Ethan Nwaneri, Marcel Sabitzer and Serhou Guirassy began on the bench with Nico Schlotterbeck left out entirely.
Hosts Bodø/Glimt made two changes of their own to the side that had beaten Kristiansund BK, with Haitam Aleesami and Andreas Helmersen coming into the starting eleven.
Bodø/Glimt create the better chances in a tight first half
Sondre Brunstad Fet fired an early effort over inside the first minute, and Bodø/Glimt grew into the contest from there. Jens Petter Hauge forced Gregor Kobel into a save after good work from Sondre Auklend, and later Fet bent a shot narrowly wide after being played through by Patrick Berg.
Dortmund's Joane Gadou was booked in the 13th minute for pulling back Fredrik Bjørkan, and Silva picked up a yellow card of his own in the 25th for a high boot on the same player.
Hauge then found Helmersen with a cushioned ball across the six-yard box, but the striker slid just past the far post as the two sides went in level at the break.
Sjøvold breaks the deadlock
Bodø/Glimt came out of the break the stronger side, with Helmersen forcing a fine save from Kobel inside the opening minute of the second half.
The breakthrough arrived in the 52nd minute when Berg found Sondre Auklend wide on the right - his low cross was met by Sjøvold, who stayed composed to slot the ball low past Kobel for the opening goal.
Kovač's changes spark a late Dortmund rally
Kovač reacted after the hour mark with a quadruple substitution, sending on Nmecha, Nwaneri, Guirassy and Julian Ryerson for Veerman, Karetsas, Silva and Inácio.
Nmecha forced a smart save from Nikita Haikin from distance, and Guirassy went close from a tight angle after a cutback. Nwaneri then headed straight at Bodø/Glimt's custodian from an unmarked position after a Bensebaini cross, and later put a clipped cross just beyond Guirassy at the far post.
Dortmund kept pressing into stoppage time with Haikin again denying Nmecha, but fell to a 1-0 defeat against Bodø/Glimt. The Black-Yellows will try to make amends away to Azerbaijan's Sabah on 20 October.
