Bundesliga
Gio Reyna orchestrates Dortmund win over Copenhagen
Gio Reyna produced two assists, including one for Jude Bellingham, as Borussia Dortmund swept aside Copenhagen in their UEFA Champions League Group G opener.
Borussia Dortmund 3-0 Copenhagen
Goals: 1-0 Reus 35’ (assist: Brandt), 2-0 Guerreiro 42’ (assist: Reyna), 3-0 Bellingham 83' (assist: Reyna)
Dortmund debutant goalkeeper Alexander Meyer cut a relieved figure in the opening minute as Zeca hit the upright with a low strike from range. Taking heed of the warning, BVB assumed complete control thereafter, with Anthony Modeste shinning a Julian Brandt cross wide at the end of Die Schwarzgelben’s first meaningful attack. Marco Reus miscued in similar fashion around the half-hour mark, but made no mistake with a trademark run and finish moments later. Raphael Guerreiro combined with substitute Reyna, before firing home from inside the box for Dortmund’s second late in the half.
As in the first period, Copenhagen came out swinging. Lukas Lerager connected with an Andreas Cornelius knock-down, but Meyer reacted brilliantly to beat the shot away. Dortmund almost added a third in response. Brandt collected a Reus pass, but blazed over with Modeste arguably better placed in the Copenhagen box. Copenhagen goalkeeper Mathew Ryan repelled Brandt, before Bellingham put the icing on the cake. The England international swept in Reyna's second assist of the night to complete an utterly professional and dominant team display from Edin Terzic's men.
Match stats
- Reyna, 19, made his 80th competitive appearance as a Dortmund player. He is the first American since 2010/11 to register two assists in a Champions League game.
- Dortmund's Yellow Wall south terrace was at capacity (25,000) for the first time in Champions League history, following a rule change allowing supporters to stand.
- Borussia have kept nine clean sheets in their last 13 home matches in the group stage.
- Reus scored his 22nd Champions League goal. He is Dortmund’s record scorer in the competition.
- BVB are unbeaten against Danish teams, with one win and a draw against Brondby in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup the only other encounters.
- Copenhagen have never beaten Bundesliga opposition in UEFA competition in 11 attempts.
Teams
Dortmund: Meyer – Meunier, Süle, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro (Rothe 86') – Bellingham, Özcan (Can 66') – Brandt, Reus (c) (Wolf 86'), Hazard (Reyna 23') – Modeste (Moukoko 67')
Unused subs: Unbehaun, Hummels, Passlack, Coulibaly, Papadopoulos
Out: Adeyemi (foot), Bynoe-Gittens (shoulder), Dahoud (shoulder), Haller (cancer), Kobel (muscular), Malen (thigh), Morey (knee), Schulz (ineligible)
Coach: Edin Terzic
Copenhagen: Ryan – Diks (Jelert 81'), Vavro, Khocholava (Boilsen 81'), Kristiansen – Falk, Zeca (c) (Sorensen 72'), Lerager – Claesson, Cornelius, Daramy (Haraldsson 60')
Unused subs: Johnsson, Dithmer, Johannesson, Mukairu, Lund, Karamoko, Stamenic, Bardghji
Out: Grabara (face)
Coach: Jess Thorup
As it happened!
3 - 0(2 - 0)
Dortmund
FINAL
Copenhagen
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IT'S ALL OVER!
Dortmund begin their 2022/23 UEFA Champions League campaign with a 3-0 victory over Copenhagen. Solid at the back, clinical going forward and sensational quality in the middle of the park. Great confidence for BVB to take into their trip to Leipzig at the weekend in the Bundesliga.
89'
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GOAL FOR THE VISITORS CHALKED OFF
A moment of sloppiness from Dortmund at the back allows Rasmus Falk to neatly tuck in for a consolation off the post but VAR reviews it and rules it out for a marginal offside.
86'
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Marius Wolf
Marco Reus
86'
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Tom Rothe
Raphaël Guerreiro
83'
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GAME, SET AND MATCH
Dortmund driving forward in numbers. Gio Reyna tucks it to Jude Bellingham who slots it into the bottom left corner of Ryan's goal to seal the victory for the home side.
81'
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Nicolai Boilesen
David Khocholava
81'
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Elias Jelert
Kevin Diks
77'
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CLOSE AGAIN FROM BRANDT
Dortmund are attacking in numbers and want to kill this one off. Brandt fires a powerful shot at the Copenhagen goal but it's well saved by Ryan.
75'
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ROCK SOLID AT THE BACK
Copenhagen have had their chances in this game but Dortmund's defensive pair of Schlotterbeck and Süle have cut out any sense of danger all evening.
72'
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Christian Sørensen
Carlos Zeca
67'
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TWO OUT, TWO IN
Super innings from Modeste and Özcan on their Champions League debuts tonight. No goals for the former but a very handy performance in and around the box in front of the Yellow Wall.
67'
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Youssoufa Moukoko
Anthony Modeste
66'
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Emre Can
Salih Özcan
61'
vs
Lukas Lerager
60'
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Hákon Arnar Haraldsson
Mohamed Daramy
58'
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CLOSE!
Modeste is put through, before laying it back to Reus who pops it over to Julian Brandt but he scoops his effort just over the bar.
47'
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GREAT SAVE!
Alexander Meyer makes a super save from Lerager's effort. Strong night from the debutant so far.
0 - 0
Half-time
42'
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ANOTHER FOR DORTMUND!
Smart pressing from Guerreiro, who shoulders his way onto the ball before laying it onto Reyna for a quick one-two before receiving the ball back in the box and tapping it home.
35'
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MARCO REUS BREAKS THE DEADLOCK!
It's been coming as Dortmund grab a deserved lead through their captain. After fluffing his lines moments earlier, Reus opens Dortmund's account in Europe this season with a clinical finish after cutting his way through defenders in typical Marco Reus fashion. Lovely take.
32'
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HUGE CHANCE FOR REUS
Meunier skates down the right and cuts it into the box perfectly for Marco Reus, but he, like Modeste earlier in the half, snatches at the shot and it goes well wide. Big chance.
27'
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David Khocholava
24'
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REYNA IN, HAZARD OUT
US international Gio Reyna is in for BVB as Thorgan Hazard leaves the pitch after picking up a knock.
23'
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Giovanni Reyna
Thorgan Hazard
9'
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FIRST CHANCE FOR THE HOSTS
Brandt makes space for a cross from the inside-right channel and lays it to Modeste, but the Frenchman snatches at the volley attempt and it's shinned wide.
3'
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EARLY CHANCE FOR THE VISITORS
Copenhagen have already hit the post, but a stretching Meyer probably would have had it covered.
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LET'S GO!
We're underway in Dortmund!
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CAN DORTMUND TAKE THEIR LEAGUE FORM INTO THE MIDWEEK?
Marco Reus scored the only goal in Friday night's 1-0 Bundesliga victory over TSG Hoffenheim at Signal Iduna Park. Second in the table behind early pace-setters SC Freiburg, can BVB take their league form into the UEFA Champions League tonight against the Danish champions?
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MORE ON THE BVB TEAM
No Kobel between the sticks for Dortmund so Alexander Meyer makes his debut for the club. Last season, the 31-year-old was shot-stopping in Bundesliga 2 for SSV Jahn Regensburg; today he's making his Dortmund debut in the Champions League. Anthony Modeste leads the line at Signal Iduna Park in what is also a European debut for the Frenchman at the tender age of 34.
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DORTMUND STARTING LINE-UP
Meyer – Meunier, Süle, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro – Bellingham, Özcan – Brandt, Reus (c), Hazard – Modeste
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DORTMUND SUBS
Unbehaun, Reyna, Hummels, Wolf, Moukoko, Can, Passlack, Rothe, Coulibaly, Papadopoulos
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COPENHAGEN STARTING LINE-UP
Ryan – Diks, Vavro, Khocholava, Kristiansen – Falk, Zeca (c), Lerager – Claesson, Cornelius, Daramy
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COPENHAGEN SUBS
Johnsson, Dithmer, Sorensen, Johannesson, Mukairu, Jelert, Boilsen, Lund, Karamoko, Haraldsson, Stamenic, Bardghji
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WELCOME!
Borussia Dortmund kick-off their 2022/23 UEFA Champions League campaign against Danish champions Copenhagen at Signal Iduna Park. For the first time since 1998, the Yellow Wall will be at full-force on an international stage, with almost 15,000 extra fans squeezing into the standing space of the South Stand under new regulations in Europe. It promises to be a spectacle, so stay tuned!