Borussia Dortmund defeated Atletico Madrid 4-2 in the quarter-final second leg on Tuesday to win 5-4 on aggregate and reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2013. Julian Brandt and Ian Maatson gave Dortmund a 2-0 lead at half-time. Visiting coach Diego Simeone made three changes at half-time, including bringing on Angel Correa, whose energy was immediately apparent, and Mats Hummels conceding a poor own goal. The Argentinian then scored to help Atletico regain the lead.
But the goals revived a sluggish Dortmund, with Niklas Verkrug and Marcel Sabitzer each scoring within three minutes to help the Bundesliga club advance.
“It’s amazing. I try not to get too carried away in interviews, but it’s really amazing. The stadium was on fire today,” Fuellkrug told DAZN.
Former champions Dortmund, fifth in Germany’s top flight, are trying to qualify for next season’s Champions League and will next face Paris Saint-Germain at Wembley on June 1 for a place in the final.
“We did give them chances and goals in the 15 minutes after half-time and we certainly have to improve on that, but our response to that was sensational,” Brandt said.
Atletico Madrid strived to reach the semi-finals for the first time in seven years, but failed in the quarter-finals for the third time in five seasons.
“It’s difficult,” Atletico captain Koke told Movistar. “Their goal hurt them – the fact that they scored very quickly.
“We were angry because we wanted to pass. This is football, it can be brutal.”
Dortmund gets off to a fast start
The home side should have equalized three minutes later, but Sabitzer’s extra touch in front of goal allowed Atletico to cover.
Shortly after, Atletico had a golden opportunity when Alvaro Morata went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the ball went wide of the post.
Karim Adeyemi fired a shot straight at Jan Oblak as Dortmund, buoyed by 80,000 home fans, tried to revive the atmosphere from last week in the Spanish capital.
Dortmund made a breakthrough in the 34th minute when Brandt received a pass from Hummels and turned around to shoot. The ball bounced off Oblak.
Germany took the lead after just five minutes when Mattsson sprinted in from an acute angle after gaining space to run in the Atletico penalty area.
With Atletico Madrid coach gone, Simeone, sensing he had a chance to advance to the semi-finals for a fourth time, shuffled the deck at half-time and made three changes, including replacing the ineffective Morata with Cote. Rhea.
Dortmund’s sudden return to inconsistency allowed the visitors to get back on level terms.
Hummels turned Mario Hermoso’s header into his own net from an Atletico corner kick, with goalkeeper Gregor Kerber waiting to make the save.
Atletico smelled blood and could have equalized when Correa dragged the ball wide.
The World Cup winner made amends for his mistake in the 64th minute when he hit the ball over the crossbar in the penalty area to put Atletico ahead on aggregate.
The goal got Dortmund back into action and Terzic’s side scored twice in three minutes to regain the lead.
Verkrug headed home Sabitzer’s cross and the Austrian midfielder then scored, breaking through the Atletico defense and firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area to seal a famous win for Dortmund.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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