Classy Guirassy puts Dortmund in driving seat against Sporting

LISBON: Serhou Guirassy inspired Borussia Dortmund to a 3-0 win at Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday to help the German side take control of the Champions League play-off round tie.

Guinea international Guirassy became the competition´s outright top scorer with his 10th goal after an hour before turning provider with a fine cross for Pascal Gross to net the second for last season´s runners-up.

Karim Adeyemi struck the third as Dortmund´s rapid counter-attack sliced open the hosts at the Jose Alvalade Stadium. Sporting controlled the first half but Dortmund stepped up several gears in the second to claim their first win under new coach Niko Kovac, in his second match at the helm.

Dortmund kept their first clean sheet in 14 matches across all competitions as they showed flashes of the quality which saw them stun Europe´s giants last season. “That (win) was important,” Gross told Amazon Prime. “You could tell in the first half that we weren´t brimming with confidence, but after the break, we played a very decent game.”

Sporting, who finished 23rd in the group phase and only just avoided the cut, played with confidence in the first half and made the early advances. Rui Borges, appointed in December to replace Ruben Amorim´s struggling successor Joao Pereira, has steadied the ship quickly in Lisbon.

Former Barcelona forward Francisco Trincao´s effort from range was caught by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and Maxi Araujo´s vicious strike cracked against the crossbar with the stopper beaten. Kobel used his forearm to keep out a rocket from Conrad Harder, starting up front in place of top scorer Viktor Gyokeres, on the bench after a thigh injury.

Young midfielder Joao Simoes was in the right place at the right time to receive a cut-back on the edge of the box but his shot was soft and easily saved by Kobel. Former Bayern Munich coach Kovac´s Dortmund threatened for the first time when winger Jamie Gittens cut in from the left with menace and pinged an effort narrowly wide.