Dortmund breathes a sigh of relief with Champions League triumph over Club Brugge

Brugge dominated most of the match, but it was the visitors who came out on top with Jamie Gittens scoring two goals and a penalty from Serhou Guirassy securing the win. The home side was left feeling disappointed with the outcome.

“It wasn’t a top performance but we took the win,” Dortmund captain Emre Can admitted as his coach Nuri Sahin hailed his side’s resilience.

“It was important to start with an away win against a tough opponent. It was a good, attacking match from both teams. In the end, with the changes we had, I think we deserved to win,” Sahin said.

Midfielder Julian Brandt praised substitutes Gittens and Guirassy for their impact off the bench which turned the contest in the team’s favour.

“It was tough in the first half. We ran a lot,” Brandt told DAZN. “It was a lot of work and a lot of attrition. At the end you could see that the spaces were getting bigger.

“It’s a good thing that the bench scores the goals. Once again the substitutes decided the game.”

The 2023 beaten finalists rode their luck but grabbed the lead when English winger Gittens, 20, picked up the ball on the left-hand side of the box and his angled shot took two deflections before ending up in the far corner of the net.

He made sure of the three points with a second goal when he ran at the Brugge defence again before creating the space to shoot, firing a low drive into the net for a superb solo strike.

Guirassy then confidently struck his spot-kick to add gloss to a scoreline that did not tell the full tale of the contest.

Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet rued his side’s profligacy in front of goal when the score was level at 0-0.

“That’s the Champions League,” he said. “Our performance was very good. If we score the first ourselves, the scenario is ideal. But they did that and then you get an exaggerated scoreline.

“The difference is the squad depth of Dortmund. What they have on the bench... after a gruelling match, it is not easy against someone (like Gittens) who comes fresh from the bench.

“But we can be very satisfied with our match. The football was very good and we created chances. We just have to seize our moments.”