Sancho and Reus fire BVB to the quarter-finals

Borussia Dortmund can celebrate reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League! A strong start and a fortunate finish saw BVB beat PSV Eindhoven 2-0 (1-0) in the second leg of their last-16 tie.

Boris Rupert reporting 

In front of 81,365 spectators at a sold-out SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, Borussia got off to a furious start, taking the lead in the third minute through Jadon Sancho. The Black & Yellows then had three further top-class opportunities to extend their lead in the first quarter of an hour of a hitherto one-sided encounter. PSV responded well in the second half and came close to finding an equaliser on several occasions. However, thanks in part to Gregor Kobel's saves, BVB held on to their lead until the fifth minute of stoppage time, when Marco Reus struck to make it 2-0.

Outlook: 
Following the 1:1 draw in the first leg, Borussia Dortmund needed a win to advance to the next round. On eight out of nine previous occasions, an away draw in the first leg has been enough to see BVB progress to the next round in the Champions League. BVB had won one of the previous three head-to-head encounters with PSV (away in 2002), while the other two matches ended in 1-1 draws (in Dortmund in 2002 and in the first leg of the current tie).

Personnel matters: 
In addition to the injured Sébastien Haller and the suspended Nico Schlotterbeck, Julian Ryerson was also absent due to illness, meaning the back four had to be reshuffled in two positions. Marcel Sabitzer's suspension in the Bundesliga did not apply to this competition. Mats Hummels and Salih Özcan moved into the starting line-up.

Tactics:   
Süle shifted over to the right-back position, Hummels and Can occupied the centre, while only Maatsen kept his usual role on the left. Sabitzer's new partner in the double pivot was Özcan. Dortmund's attack remained unchanged in a 4-2-3-1, with Brandt in the number 10 role in front of Füllkrug. Malen and Sancho lined up on the wings, regularly pushing high up the park to press PSV. The visitors from the Netherlands lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. When in possession, left winger Tillman cut inside and left the flank to the wingback Dest.

The match & analysis:

PSV won the toss and decided to let BVB attack the South Stand in the first 45 minutes rather than the second. The Black & Yellows gave them the best possible response. After just 77 seconds of play, Maatsen forced PSV goalkeeper Benitez into a brilliant save. Shortly afterwards, Brandt took down a ball from Maatsen and laid it off for Sancho, who fired in a low shot from 19 metres out to make it 1-0. After just two minutes and 58 seconds, BVB were in the lead on the night and on aggregate.

Borussia didn't choose to hold their lead, but rather looked to go one better. Brandt and Malen exchanged lightning-fast passes to stretch the opposition defence, which opened up a chance for Füllkrug, whose shot from 14 metres drifted just wide (11). In the 12th minute, Malen was felled by Veerman in the penalty area - it looked like a clear penalty, but the Italian referee took a different view. Play continued. Brandt took a shot from a half-right space on the edge of the box, but Benitez parried both the initial shot and then Malen's follow-up (16).

BVB were switched on and well-structured, never letting their concentration drop for even a moment. Lost balls were won back within a few seconds. After just under half an hour played, the possession ratio was 70:30 in favour of the home side. However, Borussia took their foot off the gas a little during this phase. It would have proved difficult to maintain the same tempo for 90 or even 120 minutes. It took until the 40th minute for the Black & Yellows to notch up their ninth shot of the game, as Malen fired an effort into the side-netting. The visitors had had four attempts on goal, all of them from long range and with little to trouble Kobel.

BVB had another opportunity at the start of the second half through Malen, who couldn't quite find the target from 15 metres out (48), but repeated mistakes in build-up play allowed the visitors back into the game. Substitute Lozano hit the post from long range in the 53rd minute, before Teze tested Kobel with a shot into the far corner three minutes later. Dest, in his new role in the centre of midfield, was the catalyst for PSV going forward. BVB were increasingly chasing after the ball and it was not until the 64th minute that they posed a decent attacking threat: Malen sent in a good cross for Füllkrug, whose header forced Benitez into a good save. Down the other end, Kobel was quick to extend his left arm to prevent Bakayoko from making it 1-1 (71).

Sancho then pulled up with a suspected hamstring strain. Reus came on to replace him and duly struck a perfect free-kick delivery to Füllkrug, who found the back of the net with a confident first-time finish (77). However, the goal was disallowed after a VAR intervention - offside. At least BVB had managed to pin their opponents back a little. The only really dangerous moment came in the 90th minute, when a Teze shot zipped just wide of the left-hand post. That was until De Jong had a huge chance to snatch an equaliser in the 94th minute, but fired over the bar. Down the other end, a PSV defender slipped and the path to goal was clear for Reus, who calmly slotted home to make it 2-0.

Outlook: 
BVB host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Sunday. Kick-off in SIGNAL IDUNA PARK is scheduled for 17:30 CET.

Teams & goals

UEFA Champions League, Achtelfinale, Rückspiel
BORUSSIA DORTMUND 2–0 (1-0) PSV EINDHOVEN 

Bor. Dortmund: Kobel – Süle, Can, Hummels, Maatsen – Özcan, Sabitzer – Malen (70, Adeyemi), Brandt (58, Nmecha), Sancho (75, Reus) – Füllkrug
PSV Eindhoven: Benitez – Teze, Schouten, Boscagli, Dest – Til (46, Lozano), Veerman (82, Pepi), Mauro Junior (86, Babadi) – Bakayoko, de Jong, Tillman
Substitutes: Meyer, Lotka; Bensebaini, Wolf, Bynoe-Gittens, Moukoko, Duranville, Wätjen – Drommel, Waterman; Bella-Kotchap, Obispo, Ramalho, Sambo, van Aanholt, Land, Ledezma
Goals: 1-0 Sancho (3, Brandt), 2-0 Reus (90+5, Füllkrug)
Corners: 5-3 (4-2 at half-time), chances: 6-5 (4-0)
Referee: Orsato (Italy), bookings: Süle, Nmecha
Attendance: 81,365 (sold-out), weather: dry, 9 degrees celsius

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