Bundesliga
Malen the matchwinner as Dortmund edge Graz
Donyell Malen struck from the substitutes' bench to give Borussia Dortmund their third win out of four in the UEFA Champions League as last season's beaten finalists continued their flawless home run this season in a tight encounter against Sturm Graz.
Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Sturm Graz
Goal: Malen 86' (assist: Guirassy)
Dortmund showed the confidence that has taken them to six wins out of six at home in all competitions this term, gaining an early stranglehold on the play against the reigning Austrian champions. BVB combined confidently with Marcel Sabitzer having a pair of early chances - the second of which forced Sturm Graz goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen into a double save as he got a foot to keep out Maximilian Beier on the rebound. Serhou Guirassy also sent a couple of efforts from the edge of the box narrowly wide. Graz battled hard and fashioned a couple of minor openings themselves, with Alexander Meyer flying to save from Otar Kiteishvili and Jusuf Gazibegovic guiding a shot from a tight angle wide. Beier did brilliantly to glide past three defenders and slide the ball past Scherpen just before the break, but Kiteishvili cleared and the tie remained deadlocked.
Dortmund started the second period in a similar tone to the first, penning Graz back and looking intently for a breakthrough. Guirassy and Sabitzer both had efforts blocked, before Nico Schlotterbeck had a fierce drive from distance saved. Instead of Dortmund finding an extra gear to force a way, through, it was the visitors who upped the ante in their efforts to contain Dortmund and launch occasional attacks of their own. Mika Biereth headed a great chance wide from the near post and Gazibegovic had a dipping effort saved by Meyer as Sturm threatened to finish strongly. Dortmund substitute Malen had other ideas, however, meeting a Guirassy lay-off crisply after Graz had given the ball away to seal the important points and maintain Dortmund's perfect home record in 2024/25.
Match stats
- This was the first competitive meeting between Dortmund and Graz.
- Dortmund remained the top scorers in the Champions League this season on Tuesday night with 13 goals, spread around six players.
- Gittens has three of those goals. Only two English players aged under 21 have ever scored more in a single Champions League campaign: Alan Smith for Leeds United (five in 2000/01) and Jude Bellingham for BVB and Real Madrid (four in 2022/23 and 2023/24).
- Borussia are now unbeaten in their last 13 home games in the Champions League, winning nine and drawing four going back to 2021.
- Graz have never beaten German opposition in a European competition (D1, L6).
- Lovro Zvonarek, 19, has played five senior games for parent club Bayern Munich, scoring one Bundesliga goal. He made his professional debut in his native Croatia as a 16-year-old and even captained Slaven Belupo.
Teams
Dortmund: Meyer - Groß, Can (c), Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini - Nmecha, Sabitzer (Malen 67') - Beier (Azhil 89'), Brandt, Gittens (Campbell 77') - Guirassy
Unused subs: Ostrzinski, Lotka, Mané, Kabar, Meiser
Out: Adeyemi (hamstring), Anton (hip), Couto (muscular), Duranville (thigh), Kobel (hip), Reyna (groin), Ryerson (groin), Süle (ankle)
Coach: Nuri Şahin
Graz: Scherpen - Johnston (Geyrhofer 60'), Aiwu, Lavalee, Gazibegović - Chukwuani - Yalcouyé, Böving, Kiteishvili (c) (Horvat 90') - Biereth (Yardımcı 75'), Jatta (Zvonarek 46')
Unused subs: Bignetti, Khudiakov, Karic, Malić, Hierländer, Schopp, Grgic, Hödl
Out: Borkovic (cruciate ligament), Stankovič (broken arm), Wüthrich (capsular injury)
Coach: Christian Ilzer
As it happened!
1 - 0(0 - 0)
Dortmund
FINAL
Graz
90' +2
vs
Schperen saves from Guirassy
That could easily have been 2-0.
90'
vs
Four minutes of stoppage time indicated
Brandt sends a shot off-target as Dortmund hunt a second goal - and their third win of the Champions League nears.
89'
vs
Ayman Azhil
Maximilian Beier
86'
vs
Malen makes the breakthrough!
Just when the game seemed to be heading to a certain draw, Dortmund finally strike! Graz give the ball away in their build-up play - not for the first time - and Guriassy lays it off for the substitute Malen to send a crisp drive into the corner of the net.
82'
vs
Sturm seek an upset
The visitors have kept on working away and are showing signs of finishing strongly - winning a corner and Gazibegovic dipping a tricky ball to the far post that Meyer did well to hang onto before it hit the roof of the net.
77'
vs
On comes Campbell
US under-19 international Cole Campbell comes on the final phases.
77'
vs
Cole Campbell
Jamie Gittens
75'
vs
Erencan Yardimci
Mika Biereth
75'
vs
Malen booked
The substitute tussles with Boving and receives the first booking of the evening.
75'
vs
Donyell Malen
71'
vs
Big chance for Biereth
That has been the best chance for Sturm Graz so far, as Biereth heads over the crossbar at the near post following a great cross from the right.
67'
vs
Sahin rings the changes (sort of)
Donyell Malen - the only senior professional on the Dortmund bench - comes on for Marcel Sabitzer as Dortmund continue to look for a breakthrough.
67'
vs
Donyell Malen
Marcel Sabitzer
60'
vs
Niklas Geyrhofer
Max Johnston
64'
vs
Brandt blasts over
The chances are mounting but the score remains 0-0. Groß lays the ball across the edge of the area to Brandt, who clips over the crossbar.
61'
vs
Gittens goes off target
The winger is picked out in the box, sets up a shot but sends it well off-target. That was Dortmund's 15th effort of the evening.
58'
vs
Stinging Schlotterbeck shot
Schlotterbeck strikes from distance and Scherpen parries his powerful shot away.
56'
vs
Action at both ends
The tenth corner of the evening is the Austrian side's first - but they are penalised for a foul in the box. Scherpen flies out of his area to head before Sabitzer can pounce on the break, and the Dortmund midfielder has a shot blocked moments later on a fluent move.
51'
vs
Groß sends in another corner
That's the ninth corner of the match so far for the hosts, but the white shirts of Sturm Graz are organised again and have no problem clearing it.
49'
vs
Groß cross saved
Pascal Groß floats a free-kick in from the left that Scherpen claims confidently.
46'
vs
Lovro Zvonarek
Seedy Jatta
46'
vs
We're off again
Can Dortmund make the breakthrough in the second period? We're underway again, with the visitors making a half-time change.
0 - 0
Kick-off!
0 - 0
Half-time
45'
vs
Two minutes of stoppage time indicated
Can Dortmund claim an opener before the break?
44'
vs
Brilliant Beier cleared off line!
Almost a goal to remember! Maxi Beier drifts past three defenders in the box before sliding a shot past Scherpen - only for Kiteishvili to smash the ball away before it can cross the goal line.
41'
vs
Groß and Gittens combine from corner
Pascal Groß and Jamie Gittens play a short corner that leads to Groß crossing the ball to the far post, where Schlotterbeck leaves it when he might have guided a header on goal. Dortmund end up with their eighth corner of the first half, which leads to Bensebaini having an effort blocked.
37'
vs
Gittens cross grabbed by Scherpen
The young English winger floats a cross from the left across the area as Dortmund continue to hunt for an opener - but it sails through for Scherpen to take hold of the ball.
33'
vs
Groß cross met by Guirassy
Groß turns the ball in and Serhou Guirassy lets fly with a diving header but miscues his acrobatic effort.
32'
vs
Gazibegović almost grabs lead
The Sturm Graz full-back pulls the ball back on the left of the area, and the ball bobbles up for him nicely to curl an effort just wide of the far post.
28'
vs
Guirassy goes close
Another chance to Dortmund after Graz give the ball away in their build-up play. It is fed to Serhou Guirassy on the edge of the area whose drive is turned behind by Scherpen in the Graz goal.
21'
vs
Beier feeds Guirassy
Signs again of the promising attacking partnership that flourished against Leipzig at the weekend. Maximilian Beier cuts the ball across from the right for Serhou Guirassy to take on the edge of the box, but his fellow new signing can't get his shot away.
16'
vs
Meyer makes a save
Sturm Graz show they are not out of this despite Dortmund's dominant opening. Alexander Meyer zips across to keep out a Kiteishvili effort on the break.
15'
vs
Double Dortmund chance!
Dortmund are building the pressure after a strong start. Marcel Sabitzer has a sharp shot saved well by Scherpen - who gets up to turn a Beier effort from the near post behind from a tight angle.
13'
vs
Gittens effort deflected behind
Graz gift the ball to Dortmund just outside their area, and Jamie Gittens has a go on the edge of the box. A Sturm Graz defender gets a foot to it and turns the ball behind, leading to another corner, which the visitors defend capably.
10'
vs
Gazibegović crosses free-kick in
The visitors get into the Dortmund area for the first time - with Gazibegović swinging a free-kick in from the left that is instantly cleared.
8'
vs
Corner to Dortmund
A Beier ball in from the right is deflected behind - giving Groß the chance to curl a corner in that Sturm clear.
6'
vs
Sabitzer heads first shot
The Austrian midfielder takes aim against the Austrian champions by getting a head to a Groß cross around the penalty spot - but sends the effort wide.
2'
vs
Gittens down
That's certainly not what Nuri Sahin wanted to see - with Dortmund facing a mammoth injury crisis, Jamie Gittens goes down after colliding with an opponent in the opening seconds. It looks like he took a painful blow to his face, but after some treatment he can play on.
1'
vs
We're underway
The Austrian champions kick off after a moment's silence in honour of the victims of the recent flooding in Spain.
0 - 0
Kick-off!
vs
The teams are out
It's a chilly November night in Dortmund with the Yellow Wall in full voice - what a setting for a Champions League evening!
vs
Eight on the bench
Dortmund's severe injury crisis means only eight of their 12 spots on the substitutes' bench have been filled. Four of those substitutes are teenagers, while Donyell Malen is the only name with substantial first-team experience for Dortmund on it.
vs
Dortmund starting XI
Meyer - Groß, Can (c), Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini - Nmecha, Sabitzer - Beier, Brandt, Gittens - Guirassy
vs
Dortmund subs
Ostrzinski, Lotka, Malen, Campbell, Mané, Kabar, Meiser, Azhil
vs
Sturm Graz starting XI
Scherpen - Johnston, Aiwu, Lavalee, Gazibegović - Chukwuani - Yalcouyé, Böving, Kiteishvili (c) - Biereth, Jatta
vs
Sturm Graz subs
Bignetti, Khudiakov, Yardımcı, Zvonarek, Karic, Horvat, Malić, Hierländer, Schopp, Geyrhofer, Grgic, Hödl
vs
BVB's Austrian dominance
Dortmund have faced Austrian sides eight times in European competition, winning four times. This will be their first match against Graz.
vs
Selection issues for Şahin
Serhou Guirassy, Maximilian Beier, Marcel Sabitzer and Ramy Bensebaini did not train ahead of tonight's match. Gregor Kobel, Waldemar Anton, Niklas Süle, Julian Ryerson, Kjell Wätjen, Gio Reyna, Karim Adeyemi and Julien Duranville remain injured.