Pascal Groß starts and Jamie Gittens shines for Borussia Dortmund against Villarreal
Borussia Dortmund stepped things up a level in pre-season with their latest task against European football regulars Villarreal, and they came away with a hard-fought 2-2 draw.
In the sweltering Altach heat, the two sides played 120 minutes of football split into four 30 minute quarters. In the first two quarters, Dortmund maintained possession well and got into some dangerous areas through Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Julian Ryerson, with new signing Pascal Groß also looking composed in the middle of the park. Despite this, it was Villarreal who took the lead through Ramon Terrats after a short back pass from Ramy Bensebaini allowed him to round Gregor Kobel and finish with ease for the game’s first goal. The second goal for the Spanish side followed a similar pattern. Dortmund struggled to clear a low cross into the box and the ball eventually fell to the grateful Denis Suarez, who passed the ball into Kobel’s bottom corner.
The third quarter saw plenty of changes for Dortmund, but Bynoe-Gittens remained on the field and he showed why with a marvelous strike from just outside the box to bring his side back into the game. More changes saw the introduction of the talented Julien Duranville and the more experienced Marcel Sabitzer among others, and it was these two that combined for the equaliser. Duranville did what he does best and left his defender chasing shadows, before squaring for the sliding Sabitzer to score from a couple of yards out.
Dortmund are currently preparing for the new season in a second training camp, having been in Thailand and Japan earlier this summer. In Bad Ragaz, coach Nuri Şahin's team have already taken part in several public training sessions, some of which have included BVB's new signings. Yan Couto joined the team on Friday, and on Saturday he was on the pitch with his new colleagues for the first time.
After another session on Monday, their penultimate pre-season friendly match took place at the Altach Cashpoint Arena against Villarreal, and next up it's Premier League side Aston Villa, before their competitive season kicks off against Phönix Lübeck in the DFB Cup.
Recap the 2-2 draw against Villarreal as it happend:
Friendly Friendly Cashpoint-Arena Altach
Full-time: 2-2
Duranville danger
Late chance?
Free-kick
Campbell's brilliance
Goal! 2-2
Free-kick
Free-kick
Corner
Bright start
Fourth quarter begins
End of the second quarter
Corner
Pushing for the equaliser
Yellow card
More changes
Moukoko on fire
Goal!
Offside
Substitutions
No foul
Play resumes
End of the second quarter
No goal!
Bynoe-Gittens bends one
Weight of pass
Nmecha goes close
Cutting edge
Goal!
Growing into the game
Progress
Free-kick
Right sided danger
Second quarter underway
First quarter over
Goal!
Dortmund chance
Into the final third
Ryerson rises
Ryerson down
Drinks break
Close
Dortmund in control
Quick start
End to end!
Dangerous cross
We're underway!
Brandt and Malen rested
Opposition lineup
Groß starts
Match practice
New faces
Welcome!
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