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Dortmund did not impress anyone, but did the work at home against Zenit.
Erling Braut Haaland scored again. Photo: Martin Meissner / POOL AP
Borussia Dortmund – Zenit 2-0
Erling Braut Haaland started as usual with Dortmund when they hosted Zenit in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
For Dortmund, who lost the first game against Lazio, it was important to counterattack with a victory. They did too, in the end.
The victory was far from over, as it was almost 80 minutes before Dortmund scored their first goal when Jadon Sancho was safe from the penalty spot.
For a long time it looked like Haaland was going to be scoreless off the field, but in extra time he ended up alone with the goalkeeper and probably made it 2-0. It was the Norwegian’s 12th goal in ten Champions League games. He has no ready players before. Simone Inzaghi, Sadio Mane and Harry Kane held the previous record with nine goals in their first ten Champions League matches, according to BBC.
– There are figures for the history books, said TV 2 commentator Øyvind Alsaker.
– He’s phenomenal, he’s uncharacteristically Norwegian. He is one of the best soccer players in the world, added TV 2 soccer expert Jesper Mathisen.
After the triumph, Haaland was a very happy man.
– This feels great, there is not much more to say about the case. It was an important goal for me and an important victory for the team. Three points was all that mattered today, Haaland said in an interview broadcast on TV 2 after the game.
Haaland scored his second goal in the Bundesliga this season. Photo: Martin Meissner / POOL AP
– Play as twins
Dortmund were a big favorite at home against Zenit, but the game started out softly and slowly. The big Russian team was short, compact and defended well, and it was almost a quarter of an hour before the first deal opportunity came.
A post from the left country in Haaland, and the Norwegian slipped unorthodoxly to the left of teammate Giovanni Reyna. The 17-year-old American, who started his first Champions League game with Dortmund on Wednesday night, was able to take shots from 16 meters away. Unfortunately for the home team, the shot hit the outside of the post.
The great talent Reyna came close to sending Dortmund to the lead, but the end came just outside. Photo: Martin Meissner / POOL AP
The aforementioned Reyna and Haaland combined well several times at the beginning of the first half, but Dortmund’s really big opportunities didn’t materialize.
– They play as twins here, Alsaker said about the interaction between Haaland and Reyna.
Haaland great opportunity
Ten minutes before the break, it was the guests’ turn to show off. Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Bürki miscalculated altogether on a post, but the hosts escaped in horror. Zenit forward Sebastian Driussu reached the ball first, but put it out.
Then it was Dortmund who produced huge chances. At first, Marco Reus was well crossed by Jadon Sancho, but the shot from an angle was deflected by the Zenit goalkeeper.
Here, Reus tries from an angle, but Zenit goalkeeper Mikhail Kerzhakov is stopped at a corner kick. Photo: LEON KUEGELER / Reuters
Just two minutes later, Sancho again assumed the role of waiter. The Englishman found Haaland on his way alone with the goalkeeper, but Jæren’s bull missed little. The Norwegian tried to throw the ball hard into the far corner, but the shot went to the side of the goal.
Dortmund dominated the game in the first half, but could not get the ball into the goal. Thus, the teams went to rest in the 0-0 position.
Haaland despaired after missing a great opportunity just before the break. Photo: LEON KUEGELER / Reuters
Then he sat down for Haaland
After the break, Dortmund kept pushing, but the German giants struggled to create chances against a Zenit team that defended heroically.
A quarter of an hour before the end came the situation that was going to be decisive. Dortmund substitute Thorgan Hazard was awkwardly and unnecessarily thrown to the ground by a Zenit defender inside the visiting penalty area. The referee correctly marked the penalty spot.
His blir Hazard lagt i bakken av Zenits Vyacheslav Karavayev. Photo: Martin Meissner / POOL AP
Sancho sent the goalkeeper astray. Photo: Martin Meissner / POOL AP
Haaland, who has scored on a penalty for Dortmund before, was unable to try from eleven meters this time. Instead, his teammate Sancho stepped forward and sent the penalty kick into goal.
The goal seemed to be the only goal of the game for a long time, but in extra time Haaland had the opportunity he had been waiting for. The Norwegian was sent only with the goalkeeper by Jude Bellingham, and this time the 20-year-old was not wrong.
Thus, Dortmund won 2-0. The victory was important, as Lazio and Club Brugge played a draw on Wednesday night. Both stand with four points, while Haaland’s team is right behind with three.
Dortmund’s next game is next Saturday away from bottom side Bielefeld.
