Erling Haaland brace gives Borussia Dortmund advantage against Sevilla in UEFA Champions League last 16
Erling Haaland's stunning double strike has Borussia Dortmund in the box seat as they came from behind to beat Sevilla 3-2 in Spain in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday.
A run of one win and three defeats in six Bundesliga fixtures hardly boded well for the visitors, and when Suso gave Sevilla an early lead, the storm clouds looked ready to burst over Edin Terzic’s men. The deflection off Mats Hummels that had sent the ball beyond Marwin Hitz for the opening goal suggested it would not be Dortmund’s night, but then Haaland took the game in hand. First, the Norway international forward showed his unselfish streak, teeing up Mahmoud Dahoud to crash a long-range shot beyond Yassine Bounou for the midfielder’s maiden UEFA Champions League strike. It was the first goal Sevilla had conceded in 727 competitive minutes, but it wouldn’t be the last. Haaland then prodded a Jadon Sancho dinked one-two past Bounou for the lead, before extending it with a superb curling shot after being teed up by Marco Reus on the break.
Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui’s response to Dortmund’s first-half onslaught was to substitute former Schalke midfielder Ivan Rakitic, and he then shuffled his pack again to no avail as Dortmund kept their opponents at arm’s length with comfort. One substitute, Oscar Rodriguez, did hit the woodwork, rattling a post and Hitz with a free-kick while Jude Bellingham forced a save from Bounou. Another home substitute, Luuk De Jong, touched home a free-kick to narrow the deficit while Sancho clipped a good late chance just wide as Dortmund departed Andalusia with an advantage to take into the second leg at Signal Iduna Park on 9 March.
Match stats
Haaland is the first player to score 18 goals in his first 13 UEFA Champions League appearances.
Haaland has scored 41 times in 42 competitive games for Dortmund.
Only Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski has scored as many goals in the competition as Haaland since the Norwegian’s UCL debut in September 2019 (both 18).
Dahoud's goal was his first in 1,441 minutes of Champions League football.
Bellingham became the youngest English player to start a Champions League knockout stage game at 17 years, 233 days.
The win was Dortmund's first in the Champions League in Spain since October 1996 (1-0 at Atletico Madrid).
Line-ups
Sevilla: Bounou - Navas (c), Kounde, Carlos, Escudero - Jordan (Rodriguez 72'), Fernando, Rakitic (Gudelj 46') - Suso (De Jong 60'), En-Nesyri (Munir 60'), P. Gomez (Torres 60') Unused subs: Vaclik, Pastor, S. Gomez, Rekik, Vidal Out: Acuna (thigh), Ocampos (ankle) Coach: Julen Lopetegui
He sets off on a blistering run before spreading the ball over to Brandt on the right. Sancho gets it back and tries to bend one into the far corner on his left foot. Only inches wide.
Sancho floats a long free-kick into the box and it's only headed straight up in the air. It lands to Brandt, who goes for the spectacular with his first involvement, but direct his shot wide.
Rodriguez's first involvement is to take the free-kick Hummels gave away against De Jong. He bends it over the wall from just over 20 yards out. It hits the post and then bounces off the hand of Hitz and somehow away to safety. Does that count as a shot on target? If so it's the first of the half from either team.
Haaland pinches the ball inside the Sevilla half and plays it to Reus, whose shot is blocked. But Dahoud recycles it with a pass to Bellingham in space to the right. His shot is travelling for forces Bounou into a diving save. Reus' rebound then hits Haaland in an offside position.
66'
UPPING THE HEAT
Sevilla are trying to crank up the heat in Spain's hottest city, but Dortmund look comfortable so far and are repelling any threat that comes their way.
60'
TRIPLE CHANGE
Julen Lopetegui sends on three new faces in an attempt to turn things back Sevilla's way. They'd already moved to a back three at half-time with Fernando dropping back to try and handle Haaland.
Dortmund hold all the cards right now and only need to keep Sevilla at arm's length. Youssef En-Nesyri, the hosts' star man, hasn't even had a sniff. He's had the fewest touches of any of the 22 players who started.
46'
RAKITIC OFF
There will be plenty of BVB fans taking delight in the fact that former Schalke midfielder Ivan Rakitic has been taken off after struggling against Bellingham, Dahoud and Can. The Croatian's record against Dortmund before tonight was four wins, one draw and one loss.
Since Haaland made his Champions League debut in September 2019, only Robert Lewandowski has scored as many goals in the competition as the Norwegian (both 18).
UNTOUCHABLE HAALAND
An assist and two goals from the Norwegian have seen Dortmund turn things around in style in Andalusia. Three shots on target, three goals for Borussia. And Haaland now has 41 goals for BVB in just his 42nd competitive appearance.
It's another brilliant break by BVB and Haaland has his brace. Reus pinches the ball on the halfway line and is away. He has Sancho to his left but knows the Norwegian is racing up to his right, feeds him and Haaland curls his left-footed shot beyond Bounou.
Dahoud tries to return the favour with Haaland with a good ball through. The big striker is onto it in a flash and smashes a left-footed effort from 28 yards, forcing Bounou into a good reaction save.
30'
IMPERIOUS
Haaland has now scored 17 goals in 13 Champions League appearances. No player had ever before got so many in their first 13 games in the competition.
27'
SUBLIME FROM BVB!
Haaland comes deep to pick up a through ball from deep. He turns and runs at a terrified Sevilla defence, passes to Sancho to his left, who chips the return ball over the defence and into the box for the Norwegian to poke beyond Bounou for his seventh goal of the competition this season. And Dortmund have turned things around in Seville!
Dahoud's goal was the first Sevilla have conceded in any competition since 19 January, having gone 727 minutes of playing time since the last.
23'
AKANJI DOWN
Manuel Akanji has gone down holding his left thigh. Never a good sign. Thomas Meunier has been sent to warm up.
19'
SCREAMER FROM DAHOUD!
Haaland does really well in a tight space from a throw on the right, breaking out and spreading it centrally to Dahoud. The midfielder takes a few strides forwards, shifts it onto his right and lets fly from a good 25 yards. No chance for Bounou and the 25-year-old has his first Champions League goal. It's only his second in any competition for BVB.
A bright opening couple of minutes for Dortmund with everything happening in the Sevilla half so far. Haaland is the target for a through ball once the gaps open but there's too much on the pass.
Kick-off!
TEAMS IN THE TUNNEL
We're moments away from kick-off in Southern Spain...
3:47
WATCH: DORTMUND'S NEXT GENERATION
A TOUGH NUT
Currently fourth in the Spanish league, Sevilla are the reigning Europa League champions. They finished second in Champions League Group E this season behind Chelsea, progressing to the knockout stage for the first time since that 2-1 aggregate defeat to Bayern, who also beat the Andalusians by the same score in this season’s UEFA Super Cup. Julen Lopetegui’s side have lost only one of their 18 competitive matches since the end of the group stage (W15, D2), winning the last nine and not conceding a single goal in the last seven.
ONE PREVIOUS VISIT
Dortmund have come to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan only once before in a competitive match, earning a 2-2 draw thanks to goals from Shinji Kagawa and Neven Subotic under Jürgen Klopp in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League group stage. Sevilla’s last Champions League knockout game here saw them lose 2-1 to Bayern in the 2017/18 quarter-finals.
BUILDING UP STEAM
Dortmund’s European campaign got off to a rocky start with a 3-1 loss away at Lazio, but they then beat Zenit Saint Petersburg and Club Brugge home and away to top Group F ahead of the Italians, who will face Bayern next week. It sees BVB into the knockout stage of the Champions League for the sixth time in their last seven participations. Of course, they won the competition for the only time in 1997 and were runners-up to Bayern in 2013.
WATCH: ALL OF HAALAND’S BUNDESLIGA GOALS
Erling Haaland is the joint-top scorer in this season’s UEFA Champions League with six goals, having netted in all four of his group stage appearances. He also has 15 in the Bundesliga this term, taking him to 28 in only 31 games in the league. You can see all 28 here.
TEAM NEWS
Dortmund make three changes from the team that started the weekend’s 2-2 draw against Hoffenheim. Mateu Morey comes in at right-back, allowing Emre Can to move into a three-man midfield alongside Jude Bellingham and the incoming Mo Dahoud. Further forward, captain Marco Reus is restored. Julian Brandt and Gio Reyna drop to the bench, while Thomas Delaney has remained in Dortmund for the birth of his first child.
TEAM NEWS
After resting a number of players at the weekend for the 1-0 win against Huesca, Sevilla revert back to a more familiar look. Only goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Diego Carlos, Alejandro Gomez and former Schalke midfielder Ivan Rakitic remain in the side.
SEVILLA SUBS
Vaclik, Pastor, S. Gomez, Rekik, Gudelj, De Jong, Munir, Rodriguez, Vidal, Torres
