Dortmund Opens Opportunities For The Last 16 After Winning Against Dinamo Zagreb

Borussia Dortmund opened the scoring for the last 16 of the Champions League after a 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb. (X/@BVB)

JAKARTA - Borussia Dortmund defended their position in the last eight of the Champions League after a 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the match at Maksimir Stadium, Thursday, November 28, 2024 in the morning WIB. The victory that opened up Dortmund's chances of qualifying for the last 16.

Dortmund had to work hard even though they were finally able to score three goals against Dinamo who played in front of his own supporters. The result shows Dortmund's consistency in European competitions as they won four wins in five preliminary matches.

On the other hand, Dortmund is still unstable in Germany's Bundesliga and has never won away games this season. The failure to maintain consistency in domestic competition made last season's Champions League finalists stuck in fifth place. Even Dortmund are already 10 points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.

In the match against Dinamo, they actually had difficulties even though they were able to dominate. Even the match seemed to be one-way because the ball was more controlled by Nuri Sahin's team.

Dortmund had a chance to break into the host's goal through Ramy Bensebaini in the early minutes of the match. Only his header still bounced.

Meanwhile, the efforts of Donyell Malen also failed to produce results. His header, which almost paid off, was still thwarted by goalkeeper Danijel Zagorac.

Dortmund finally broke the deadlock in the 41st minute. Young England player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens successfully broke into Dinamo's goal after showing action past two opposing defenders before beating Zagorac. Dortmund also won 1-0 and the score lasted until the first half was over.

In the second half, Dortmund still controlled the game. They played attacking which forced Dinamo to defend more.

It's just that the efforts of Nenad Bzenica's troops still failed. In the 56th minute, Bensebaini made no mistake during his header which welcomed a corner of increasing Dortmund's advantage.

Furthermore, Malen almost added a goal in the 65th minute. However, Zagorac's shot was saved so that the ball went wide of the side of the net.

However, Zagorac failed to stop the kick from forward Serhou Guirassy towards the end of the match. The score changed to 3-0 and lasted until the game was over.

Sahin showed his satisfaction with the victory in the away match. Moreover, the victory made Dortmund stay in the top eight by placing fourth after pocketing point 12. Their points are the same as Barcelona, but Dortmund lost the goal difference. Liverpool's top position is in 15 points.

"It was extraordinary that we won in an away match. This is very meaningful and important with our position in the standings. This victory also raises our morale," said Sahin.

"This is not an easy game but we are still trying to put pressure on them. After winning 1-0, we are increasingly dominating. Now, we have to maintain this performance," he said.

Meanwhile, Dinamo still has a chance to qualify for the last 16 even though they have to go through a play-off. They are ranked 23rd with seven points.