Erling Haaland extended his record of scoring against every side he has faced in the Champions League as he struck twice to help Borussia Dortmund come from behind and win 3-2 at Sevilla. (More Football News)
Erling Haaland scored a brace for the second Champions League game running to help Borussia Dortmund beat Sevilla.
Erling Haaland extended his record of scoring against every side he has faced in the Champions League as he struck twice to help Borussia Dortmund come from behind and win 3-2 at Sevilla. (More Football News)
The visitors fell behind to an early Suso strike in the first leg of the last-16 tie but then laid siege to the Sevilla goal, scoring three times in 24 minutes.
Haaland assisted Mahmoud Dahoud to score his first Champions League goal before the Norway striker then netted a brace to take his Dortmund tally to 10 in the competition, though Sevilla had the last word with a late Luuk de Jong strike in reply.
No player has reached double figures in the Champions League for a club in fewer games than Haaland's seven, and while the form guide may have made Sevilla favourites, he showed his match-winning qualities on Europe's biggest stage.
Suso opened the scoring after seven minutes when his attempt made it beyond Marwin Hitz via a wicked deflection off Mats Hummels' foot.
Sevilla then invited pressure, allowing Haaland to skip through midfield and pick out Dahoud, whose powerful drive hit the top right corner of the net.
Haaland stormed through Sevilla's half again eight minutes later, only pausing to play a one-two with Jadon Sancho before sliding in to convert from close range.
The 20-year-old finished a sweeping Dortmund move on the cusp of half-time to extend the lead, applying a first-time left-footed finish to Marco Reus' pass.
Sergio Escudero rolled a shot narrowly wide from 10 yards as Sevilla sought to claw their way back in during the second half, while substitute Oscar Rodriguez sent a curling free-kick crashing onto the post.
De Jong did volley a Rodriguez pass into the far corner of the net from close range with six minutes left on the clock to narrow the deficit - a goal that could prove crucial if Sevilla can get a result in the return fixture.
What does it mean? Sevilla's dream hanging by a thread
With a place in LaLiga's top four looking well within reach this season, Sevilla had their sights set on making it to the Champions League quarter-finals for only the second time.
Head coach Julen Lopetegui will have to summon a drastic improvement from his players if they are to overturn the deficit in Dortmund, where they will need at least two goals to have a chance of progressing.
Haaland fast becoming Europe's best
Haaland has scored 18 Champions League goals since the beginning of the 2019-20 season, putting him level with Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski as the competition's top scorer in that period.
Sevilla forwards fall flat
Despite lining up with a front three, Sevilla mustered just two shots on target in the first half and the same number again after the interval – a tally that does not bode well for the second leg, despite the late strike from De Jong reducing the deficit.
Key Opta facts
- Dortmund picked up just their second ever away win against Spanish opposition in the Champions League (D3 L7), this their first victory since beating Atletico Madrid back in 1996-97 – a season in which they went on to lift the trophy.
- Erling Haaland has scored 10 goals in just seven appearances for Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League, the quickest a player has ever reached 10 for a team in the competition, breaking Roy Makaay's record with Bayern Munich (10 games).
- Dortmund ended a run of six straight defeats away from home in the knockout stages, with this being their first such victory since February 2014 under Jurgen Klopp.
- Suso's opener was only the second of Sevilla's last 25 goals in the Champions League to be scored by a Spanish player, with the previous one coming from Pablo Sarabia against Bayern Munich in April 2018.
- Aged 17 years and 233 days, Jude Bellingham is the youngest ever English player to start a game in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
What's next?
Dortmund travel to Schalke for a game against the Bundesliga's bottom club on Saturday, while Sevilla are not in action again until they face Osasuna in LaLiga on Monday.