Serhou Guirassy stars at both ends as Borussia Dortmund survive Villarreal scare in the Champions League

Dortmund opened their Champions League campaign with an entertaining 3-2 victory over Villarreal. Guirassy proved to be the central figure, scoring twice at the right end before inadvertently netting an own goal in a chaotic second half.

The hosts took the lead shortly after the restart when Renato Veiga's cross was deflected into his own net. Santiago Mourino equalised for Villarreal, but Dortmund's superior quality eventually shone through to secure three hard-earned points.

Villarreal missed several glorious opportunities in the first half, with Georges Mikautadze scuffing a shot from close range and Tajon Buchanan forcing Gregor Kobel into a brilliant save. Dortmund punished those misses when Veiga unwittingly deflected a Maximilian Beier cross past his own goalkeeper in the 53rd minute.

Mourino caught Kobel out with a flicked header to draw the Spanish side level, but Guirassy restored Dortmund's lead by tapping in Fabio Silva's precise low cross in the 80th minute. Three minutes later, Guirassy won and converted a penalty after Mourino brought him down inside the box.

There was still time for further drama when a Kobel save rebounded off Guirassy's face and into his own net. Villarreal pressed frantically for a second equaliser, but Veiga deflected a late chance wide in deep stoppage time.

The wild encounter marked Guirassy’s 100th appearance in a Dortmund shirt, bringing his total goal tally for the club to 64. His performance further solidified his growing reputation as one of Europe's most lethal marksmen.

Since the start of the 2024-25 season, the Guinean forward has been directly involved in 26 goals in 25 Champions League appearances. Across the competition, that outstanding record is bettered only by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.

Meanwhile, Villarreal's away struggles in Europe continued despite an improved attacking display. The Yellow Submarine had failed to score in any of their four away matches in the Champions League last season, though they pushed Dortmund to the limit this time.

Having negotiated a tricky opening European fixture, Dortmund will now turn their focus back to domestic football. BVB prepare to host Paderborn in their next Bundesliga outing as they aim to build momentum.

Villarreal must dust themselves down following their narrow defeat in Germany. The Spanish side return to Liga action with a home clash against Real Betis, who also featured in Europe after securing a 3-2 victory over Lille.