Serhou Guirassy double earns Borussia Dortmund narrow Champions League win over Villarreal

Borussia Dortmund held on to beat Villarreal 3-2 at Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday, with Serhou Guirassy scoring twice before a late own goal made the closing stages far more tense in their Champions League league-phase meeting.

The match was played at a high tempo, but neither side was able to break the deadlock during an evenly balanced first half. Dortmund and Villarreal created a competitive contest without finding the decisive finish before the interval.

The hosts moved in front seven minutes after the restart when Renato Veiga put the ball into his own net in the 52nd minute. That gave Borussia Dortmund the advantage, but Villarreal responded 13 minutes later through Santiago Mourino, who restored parity in the 65th minute.

With the game level again, Dortmund turned to Guirassy to provide the difference. The Guinea international put the home side back in front in the 79th minute, giving the BVB a 2-1 lead and shifting the momentum in their favour.

Guirassy then struck again from the penalty spot five minutes later. The spot-kick was awarded following a VAR intervention, allowing the Dortmund striker to make it 3-1 in the 84th minute and complete his double.

Villarreal were not finished, however. In the third minute of added time, Guirassy was involved at the wrong end when he scored an own goal, reducing the deficit to 3-2 and setting up a nervous finish.

The Spanish side applied pressure during the final seconds as they searched for a second equaliser. Dortmund endured that late spell and preserved their advantage to secure an important victory in the Champions League league phase.

The result followed a match in which the two teams had remained difficult to separate for much of the evening. Dortmund’s early second-half breakthrough appeared to put them in control, but Villarreal’s equaliser ensured the contest remained open until Guirassy supplied the decisive contribution.

His two goals ultimately proved enough to settle the game, despite his own goal giving Villarreal renewed hope in stoppage time. Borussia Dortmund were able to withstand the pressure and finish the night with a 3-2 win at Signal Iduna Park.