Borussia Dortmund needed something from Baku, and Serhou Guirassy gave it to them twice. The striker scored in each half as Dortmund beat Sabah 2-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, ending a three-match winless run in all competitions and lifting them to six points in the league phase.
Guirassy Punishes a Spilled Shot
The opener came in the 10th minute and it was not pretty. Sabah goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov fumbled a shot, the ball squirmed loose, and Guirassy was the first man to react, tucking away the rebound. Goal.com credits Felix Nmecha with creating the chance. It was exactly the sort of goal a striker lives on, and it settled a Dortmund side that arrived in Azerbaijan still stinging from a 1-0 defeat at Bodo/Glimt a week earlier.
Sabah Answer Before the Break
The hosts did not fold. They had beaten Slavia Prague last week for their first Champions League victory, and they played like a team that believed it belonged. Quick transitions and counter-attacks kept Dortmund honest, and the equaliser arrived in the 39th minute when defender Aden McCarthy rose to head in a free-kick from the right. Joy-Lance Mickels had a goal ruled out for offside before the interval, so the timing of the whistle probably felt cruel to the home side, who had Dortmund pinned back for spells.
Dortmund's numbers tell a different story from the scoreline. Goal.com has them with 23 shots and an expected-goals figure of 3.06 against 1.13 for Sabah, which suggests the visitors created far more than the single goal margin implies. Gregor Kobel made three saves at the other end and could do little about McCarthy's header.
Veerman Delivers, Guirassy Finishes
The second half belonged to the visitors. Joey Veerman, who was excellent, floated in a cross and Guirassy met it with a cushioned volley past Pokatilov, his second of the night and the goal that proved decisive. Goal.com puts it in the 53rd minute. Niko Kovac then made a triple change in the 71st minute, bringing on Jobe Bellingham, Marcel Sabitzer and Joane Gadou to see the game out.
It could have been more comfortable. Guirassy and Fabio Silva both spurned one-on-one chances to put the game beyond reach, and Sabah substitute Orphe Mbina blazed wide while Veljko Simic mis-hit a decent opening in the closing stages. BBC readers rated Guirassy the top performer with an average of 8.33, and Goal.com gave him a 9 out of 10, the highest mark of any Dortmund player.
What It Means for the Table
Six points from three games is a respectable return after the Bodo/Glimt setback, and it eases the pressure on Kovac. Dortmund host Real Betis on Wednesday 4 November at 20:00 BST. Sabah stay on three points and travel to Norway to face Viking at the same time. For a side that has spent weeks scrapping for form, Guirassy's goals were a reminder that Dortmund still own one of the cleanest finishers in the competition.
Match facts: Sabah FK 1-2 Borussia Dortmund, UEFA Champions League league phase, Baku, Tuesday 20 October 2026. Goals: Guirassy 10', Guirassy 53' (Dortmund); McCarthy 39' (Sabah). Dortmund: six points. Next: Dortmund v Real Betis, Wed 4 Nov (20:00 BST); Viking v Sabah, same time.
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