Dortmund undone by Torres brace as Barcelona edge five-goal show

Nuri Şahin’s BVB took on a mighty challenge in the form of Barcelona tonight. Matchday 6 yielded defeat for Die Schwarzgelben as the Spanish club ran out 3-2 winners.

Despite the intimidating atmosphere, the Catalan club took the initiative to BVB from the get-go as Yamal tested Kobel and Raphinha fizzed a low drive past the left post. Dortmund’s first opportunity of note came in the 16th-minute as Sabitzer blazed over from a Julien Duranville cross. Jules Koundé stung the palms of Kobel from a half-chance, while at the other end Guirassy’s header was superbly saved by Pena albeit the Malian striker was already offside. 

Julian Ryerson, who picked up a slight knock in the first-half, was replaced by Couto after the break. The offside flag would chalk off Guirassy’s goal in the 50th-minute which further angered the BVB faithful as Barcalona took the lead. Ex-Leipzig man Dani Olmo threaded the pass for Raphinha to thrash home on the angle. Parity restored itself before the hour when Cubarsí brought down Guirassy in the box. The Malian held his nerve to smsh the resulting penalty into the lower left corner. 

It wasn’t to be a goal-scoring return to the Rührpott for Robert Lewandowski, however his replacement restored the visitors lead. Kobel denied Fermin Lopez but Ferran Torres swept home the rebound. Amazingly, Sahin’s Schwarzgelben struck back instantly when Pascal Groß picked the pass to split the offside trap and left Inaki Pena at sea as Guirassy bagged his brace. 

However, a cruel sting remained in the tail as Hansi Flick’s side snatched a winner. Stemming from a Dortmund corner, Jamie Gittens made the fatal mistake of letting the ball bounce over his head. On an off night for the Englishman, Lamine Yamal raced away and timed his pass to perfection. Ferran Torres steadied himself and placed his shot inside the left upright beyond the outstretched Gregor Kobel. Further woes arrived as Nico Schlotterbeck left the field on a stretcher as the centre-half looked to attack a late Groß set-piece deep in injury time.