dortmund vs atalanta: Guirassy stars as Dortmund dispatch Atalanta
Borussia Dortmund took a commanding 2-0 lead into the Champions League knockout second leg after Serhou Guirassy's early header and a second-half assist set up Maximilian Beier's finish in a tidy home victory. The game at Signal Iduna Park was pushed back 15 minutes when the home team encountered traffic on the way to the stadium, but the delay did nothing to slow Dortmund's tempo. The return fixture is set for Wednesday, February 25 at 12: 30 PM ET in Bergamo.
Early breakthrough and decisive contributions
Dortmund made the perfect response to their late arrival, opening the scoring inside the first three minutes. Serhou Guirassy rose to meet Julian Ryerson's cross and planted a header beyond the goalkeeper, marking his 16th goal of the season and underlining his growing importance in attack. The Guinea international now has four goals in this season's Champions League campaign, a fine return for a player who has been pivotal in recent European fixtures.
The hosts continued to control the contest and doubled their advantage shortly before halftime. Guirassy turned provider when he picked out Maximilian Beier with a cross that the forward tapped in at the back post in the 42nd minute. That combination — clinical finishing and intelligent movement off the ball — summed up Dortmund's attacking plan and left Atalanta with a steep hill to climb in the second leg.
Despite enjoying more of the ball after the break, Atalanta rarely threatened Dortmund's goal. The visitors' possession failed to translate into clear scoring opportunities, and home keeper Gregor Kobel remained largely untested. Dortmund's disciplined defensive shape and efficient counter patterns preserved the clean sheet and the two-goal cushion.
Delay, squad context and what the second leg holds
The fixture got underway 15 minutes later than scheduled after the home side was delayed by traffic on the way to the stadium. The club announced the postponement shortly before the original start time and the match eventually kicked off with fans still settling into the stands.
Squad availability has been a talking point for Dortmund this season. Defensive absences left the coaching staff short of senior options at the back, prompting the inclusion of several youngsters in the matchday group. Those selections have added an extra layer of intrigue to this tie, with fresh faces now tasked with helping preserve the lead in Italy next week.
On form and history, the tie is far from decided. Dortmund have had mixed results against Italian clubs in recent European campaigns and have dropped consecutive 0-2 defeats earlier in this edition, so they know the danger of complacency. Atalanta, meanwhile, have lost a run of Champions League knockout ties in recent seasons but possess the attacking tools to force a turnaround in Bergamo if Dortmund relax their guard.
With the return leg scheduled for Wednesday, February 25 at 12: 30 PM ET, Dortmund will head to Italy with a two-goal advantage but also a reminder that European ties can shift quickly. Atalanta must chase a clean sheet and score twice to level the tie, while Dortmund can afford to play more conservatively but will be wary of surrendering momentum on enemy turf. Expect tactical adjustments, tight margins and a probing Atalanta side hunting opportunities from set plays and transitions.
This first-leg result hands Dortmund the initiative, but the tie remains live — and the answer to whether Guirassy can continue his Champions League hot streak will come under the brighter lights of the return in Bergamo.
