Dortmund Stunned at Home as Salzburg Claims Europa League First-Leg Victory
– In a significant upset, RB Salzburg defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at the Signal Iduna Park in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie. The match, played before a crowd of 53,700, saw Valon Berisha score twice for the Austrian side, while André Schürrle netted a consolation goal for Dortmund.
The result represents a major setback for Borussia Dortmund, who were expected to perform strongly on their home turf. According to reports, the performance was described as “gutless and flat,” leaving the German side with a difficult task in the second leg.
Berisha opened the scoring in the 49th minute with a penalty, awarded after a foul by Dortmund’s Ömer Toprak. The midfielder doubled Salzburg’s lead just seven minutes later, capitalizing on opportunities created by a dominant Salzburg performance in the second half.
Schürrle managed to pull one back for Dortmund in the 62nd minute, but it proved insufficient to alter the course of the match. The goal, however, offered a glimmer of hope for Dortmund ahead of the return leg.
The match was notable for a number of individual performances. Roman Bürki, Dortmund’s goalkeeper, made a crucial save in the first half but was unable to prevent either of Berisha’s goals. Gonzalo Castro, deployed at right back by coach Peter Stöger, reportedly had a difficult evening in an unfamiliar role. Toprak’s costly penalty concession proved particularly damaging for Dortmund.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos delivered a solid defensive performance for Dortmund, consistently dealing with Salzburg’s attacks. However, he was also reportedly disappointed not to have added to Dortmund’s tally with two headed opportunities.
The victory marks a stellar moment for Austrian club football, with Salzburg delivering an outstanding performance against a team boasting World Cup winners in their ranks, including André Schürrle and Mario Götze. The win places Salzburg in a strong position to advance to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Elsewhere in the Europa League on , Atlético Madrid secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow, while Arsenal defeated AC Milan in a first-leg encounter.
Dortmund will now face an uphill battle to overturn the deficit in the second leg, needing to score at least two goals in Austria to progress. The return fixture promises to be a tense affair, with Salzburg aiming to capitalize on their first-leg advantage and secure their place in the next round.
