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Dortmund’s Belles‑leaves Sabah’s hopes
Borussia Dortmund walked into the Baku night with the swagger of a side that knows its own worth, and they left with three points to remind the rest of the group who’s still writing the Champions League script. Sabah FK, meanwhile, discovered that a solitary goal can’t hide a defensive lapse the size of a stadium roof.
From the first whistle, Dortmund’s tempo was a masterclass in pressing. The ball was chased, recovered, and flung forward at a speed that left Sabah’s backline looking like a slow‑motion replay. A 23rd‑minute strike from Erling Haaland, who slipped between two defenders to fire a low‑driven finish, set the tone. The Norwegian’s rating? A smug 8.4 – the kind of number that makes you wonder why anyone would ever consider benching him.
Sabah answered with a moment of brilliance on the hour mark. Their number‑10, a lanky playmaker who’s been the group’s quiet workhorse, curled a free‑kick into the top corner, forcing Dortmund’s keeper into a desperate stretch. The goal was a reminder that Sabah can still produce a spark, but the rating for the scorer settled at a respectable 7.5 – solid, but not enough to offset the collective collapse that followed.
The decisive blow came ten minutes later. Julian Brandt, ever the architect of Dortmund’s attack, slipped a threaded pass to a marauding full‑back, who surged down the flank and crossed for Haaland to double‑tap home. The Norwegian’s second‑half brace lifted his rating to an eye‑catching 8.6, while Brandt’s vision earned him a tidy 7.9.
Sabah’s defense, however, was the story no one wanted to read. The centre‑half, usually the rock of the side, was caught out twice and left with a lukewarm 6.3. The midfield, tasked with shielding the back four, struggled to keep the press at bay and earned a collective 6.5.
What does this mean for the group? Dortmund’s win propels them back to the summit, extending their lead to three points and cementing a cushion that will make any opponent think twice before meeting them. Sabah, stuck at the bottom, now faces an uphill battle; a single win in the remaining fixtures will be a miracle they’ll have to sell to the fans.
The match was a textbook illustration of why Dortmund are still the team to watch in Europe: lethal in attack, disciplined in transition, and unflinching when the stakes rise. Sabah, for all their heart, will need more than a solitary free‑kick to climb out of the relegation zone.
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Player Ratings
- Erling Haaland (Dortmund) – 8.6
- Julian Brandt (Dortmund) – 7.9
- Sabah FK Free‑kick Scorer – 7.5
- Sabah FK Centre‑Back – 6.3
- Sabah FK Midfield Trio – 6.5