Borussia Dortmund 3-2 Villarreal: Talking points from a narrow Champions League win
Serhou Guirassy led Borussia Dortmund to a nervy win on the first day of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League season against Villarreal.
The Guinean ace netted two late strikes and then an own goal as Dortmund prevailed 3-2 at the Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday.
Here are the major talking points from the clash:
1) Guirassy shines on 100th BVB appearance
Serhou Guirassy was making his 100th appearance in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund last night and he marked the occasion with a talismanic brace in the final 10 minutes of the match which helped them seal the tie.
With the scoreline locked at 1-1, he put Dortmund in front after 80 minutes with a simple finish from close-range after Fabio Silva teed him up with a lovely cross, before dispatching a penalty in the 85th minute.
Including this double, Guirassy is now their second all-time top-scorer in the Champions League with 19 goals, behind only Marco Reus. What's impressive is he managed to pull it off in just two years at the club.
2) Defensive frailties remain a concern
For the second game in a row, Dortmund conceded twice in a match. Although unlike the Hoffenheim win, the BVB never fell behind during the proceedings here, it didn't make for a good viewing.
In fact, rather astonishingly, Villarreal ended the game with more shots on target (8) than Dortmund (7) despite making fewer attempts (13 to their 17).
The Yellow Submarine equalised through a corner kick before Guirassy inadvertently put the ball in his own net from another corner as Gregoe Kobel's clearance came off him.
As some fans rightfully pointed out, these aren't the most formidable opposition and yet, Dortmund are barely scraping through, something we've seen on too many occasions last season too.
3) Fresh health concern for Niko Kovac
Niko Kovac was already saddled by a swath of injuries and suspensions. But last night dealt him a new concern after Konstantinos Karetsas went off after just 26 minutes into the kick-off.
The club later revealed that it's only a circulation problem instead of an injury, although further examinations would reveal if he's going to be sidelined.
His compatriot Giannis Konstantelias has already suffered a torn ACL and has been ruled out for months, while Filippo Mane is also nursing a muscle injury.
Dortmund have another two games to play before the first international break of the season, and will be hoping to avoid any further fitness concerns.
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