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Guirassy stars as Dortmund defeat Shakhtar Donetsk

Guirassy stars as Dortmund defeat Shakhtar Donetsk
Guirassy stars as Dortmund defeat Shakhtar Donetsk

Borussia Dortmund secured an important win tonight but it would not be enough for the Rührpott giants to snatch a top-eight spot as they finish the league phase in tenth-place. While the hosts dominated possession early on, Oleksandr Zubkov'a 12th-minute strike was the first on target which Gregor Kobel comfortably palmed away. Dortmund responded with increased intent which yielded the breakthrough on 17 minutes. Karim Adeyemi's strike was redirected into the lower left corner by the Malian striker's knee.

Things got a bit heated when Karim Adeyemi legally shouldered Kevin over the sideline. The Shakhtar bench was insensed but play resumed swiftly. BVB continued to pile on the pressure with Jamie Gittens to the fore while Nico Schlotterbeck almost converted from a Julian Ryerson free-kick. Die Schwarzgelben doubled their advantage just before the break on the counterattack. Emre Can found Julian Brandt with a long ball who in turn fed Guirassy to slip the ball beneath Riznyk's legs.

A yellow-carded Beier made way for Pascal Groß to start the second-half, but Dortmund coughed up a cheap goal almost instantly to give Shakhtar a lifeline. Gregor Kobel's heavy touch allowed Marlon to pounce and compound the error. As the Shakhtar's head coach Marino Pusic punched the air with joy, his side started to look the more confident of the two sides.

It took a while for Dortmund to snap back into gear as substitute Gio Reyna acted as the catalyst. The young American fed Gittens who unselfishly slipped in Guirassy. On this occasion, his chipped effort could only rattle the side netting. To the delight of interim coach Mike Tullberg, Dortmund restored their two-goal advantage. Ramy Bensebaini and Gio  Reyna played the perfect one-two with the latter's backheel assist finished off by the Algerian full-back to secure victory.