Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland score to lead Borussia Dortmund to 2-1 win over Besiktas
Borussia Dortmund kicked off their 2021-22 Champions League season with a 1-2 win over Besiktas JK courtesy of goals from Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland.
Borussia Dortmund made a winning start to the UEFA Champions League group stage on Wednesday, as first half goals from Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland helped them earn a 2-1 win over Besiktas JK.
The wait is over and the UEFA Champions League is finally back. Borussia Dortmund travelled to the Turkish capital for their first encounter of the group stage against Besiktas JK. The Turkish champions led by Sergen Yalcin were making their return to Europe’s biggest club competition. And on Wednesday they had the tough task of taking on the favorites to win the group: The Black and Yellows.
Marco Rose has enjoyed a solid start to his tenure at Borussia Dortmund by leading the team to the second round of the German Cup and keeping them in the upper positions of the Bundesliga. Following a dramatic win on Saturday against Bayer Leverkusen, his focus shifted to his Champions League debut with Dortmund.
High intensity and fast-paced football was the theme of the night right from the first whistle. The home side, motivated by their fierce and passionate supporters, went straight for the Borussia Dortmund goal in the opening minutes. Gregor Kobel was tested by Michy Batshuayi after the latter got around Mats Hummels and had his powerful shot saved.
Borussia Dortmund were also looking to get on the offensive on the counter attack, with some solid link-up between Marco Reus, Raphael Guerriero and Donyell Malen on the left side of the park.
Twenty minutes into the game and Jude Bellingham opened the scoring for Borussia Dortmund after he slipped his way through the right side of the Besiktas defense and fired his shot past the Besiktas goalkeeper.
The goal gave Borussia Dortmund some breathing room and the confidence to go on and dominate proceedings. Marco Reus and Erling Haaland both missed golden chances to double BVB’s lead.
But right before the first half ended, Jude Bellingham took the Besiktas defenders for a ride before setting up Erling Haaland who wasn’t to be denied this time. The goal, Haaland’s 21st in the competition in just hist 17th appearance, gave Borussia Dortmund a 2-0 lead going into the break.
Bellingham was by far the most proactive and delightful player to watch in the first 45 minutes, and his performance led showed once again just why he is the best young midfielder in the world at the moment.
The second half of the game saw both teams attempting back and forth to put the ball in the back of the net. Borussia Dortmund created numerous opportunities that went to waste. Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Marco Reus and Thomas Meunier all came close to scoring, before Ansgar Knauff struck the woodwork from close range.
Clinical finishing was something lacking in Borussia Dortmund’s offensive opportunities, even though they managed to get into some really good positions.
Next. Player ratings from Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 win over Besiktas. dark
Besiktas made sure to give BVB a major scare in the final minutes of the match after Francisco Montero finally put a smile on the home fans’ faces by heading past Gregor Kobel from a set-piece. But despite their best attempts, the clock wasn’t on their side. The first match of Group C ended in a 1-2 win for Borussia Dortmund. And on the balance of play, it was a well deserved win.