Dortmund show strength in Champions League win over Athletic Bilbao

Berlin, Oct 2 (IANS) Borussia Dortmund extended its unbeaten streak across all competitions with a convincing 4-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in their group stage clash at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday.

The host entered the contest full of confidence after four straight league wins, and coach Niko Kovac rotated his lineup in five positions, including the return of top scorer Serhou Guirassy.

Despite the changes, Dortmund quickly found their rhythm and took control of proceedings. Athletic, struggling with form and missing star forward Nico Williams through injury, offered little in the opening stages.

Dortmund's early dominance was rewarded in the 28th minute when Karim Adeyemi's sharp delivery was converted by Daniel Svensson for his first Champions League goal. The German side pushed for more, with Niklas Sule testing from distance, while goalkeeper Gregor Kobel remained untroubled at the other end.

After halftime, the momentum continued. Marcel Sabitzer's diagonal pass unlocked the Athletic defense, and Guirassy set up Carney Chukwuemeka to double the lead with a precise finish in the 50th minute. But the visitors briefly threatened a comeback, and a defensive lapse allowed Gorka Guruzeta to strike from close range just after the hour mark, halving the deficit.

Moments later, Robert Navarro found the net, only to be flagged offside, and he later went close again. Dortmund weathered the storm, with Svensson producing a vital clearance off the line to preserve the advantage. Relief came in the 82nd minute when Guirassy redirected a Sabitzer shot into the net for 3-1. Substitute Julian Brandt then sealed the result deep into stoppage time with a low drive.

"Always nice to play Champions League. Overall good performance of the team. Of course, I am happy with the win. We played a good first half with a lot of possession. Second half, we had a hard time, but the hard work paid off," said Dortmund defender Daniel Svensson.

--IANS

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