Niko Kovac cited Borussia Dortmund’s improved velocity on the ball within the second half as pivotal of their Champions League play-off victory over Sporting CP on Tuesday.
After a goalless first-half through which Dortmund registered only one shot on track on the Estadio Jose Alvalade, the Bundesliga aspect got here out after the break a distinct group.
Two objectives in eight minutes from Serhou Guirassy and Pascal Gross put Dortmund in management earlier than Karim Adeyemi sealed the win within the closing levels of the competition.
Certainly, Guirassy’s strike has now seen him concerned in 13 objectives within the Champions League this season (10 objectives, three assists), probably the most ever by a Dortmund participant in a single marketing campaign within the competitors.
Kovac, taking cost of his first Champions League recreation for Dortmund, additionally prolonged his spectacular run within the competitors away from dwelling.
He’s now unbeaten in every of his seven Champions League away video games (W4 D2 with Bayern Munich, W1 with Dortmund), probably the most matches a supervisor has taken cost of on the highway within the competitors with out struggling defeat.
Dortmund struggled within the opening exchanges of the competition, registering an anticipated objectives (xG) complete of simply 0.26 from their six photographs, however that metric considerably improved after the interval.
The guests registered an xG complete of 1.55 from their 10 makes an attempt to Sporting’s 0.2, whereas additionally recording 12 extra touches within the opposition’s field than they did within the first 45 minutes.
“You can not come right here and dominate towards Sporting, however within the first half we have been far too gradual,” Kovac stated.
“After the break, we elevated velocity and scored nice objectives. I used to be completely satisfied to see that bodily dedication. To play right here like that isn’t straightforward.
“Sporting are an excellent group, and we noticed it within the first half. We didn’t have the initiative. We needed to play quicker, flow into it with fewer touches.
“We took the fitting choices, not solely after we scored. We may have scored perhaps yet another objective.
“On Saturday we go to VfL Bochum, and we’ll face a troublesome process there. We now must preserve going,” added Kovac, whose group are in eleventh place within the Bundesliga.
