Goals from Guirassy and Baier secured a 2-0 victory for Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-off tie. German midfielder Julian Brandt stated that the team's clean sheet and the advantage they gained provided a sense of security.

Just three minutes into the match, Julian Reilson crossed from the right wing, and Giroud rose to head the ball into the net, giving Dortmund a dream start of 1-0. In the 42nd minute, Giroud passed the ball across the face of goal, and Baier slotted it home to extend Dortmund's lead to 2-0.

Ultimately, Dortmund defeated Atalanta 2-0 at home, laying the foundation for advancing to the round of 16.

Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said, "I am very satisfied. We played very well, scored two goals, and performed well in the second half as well. We did a lot of preparation on some details and put them into practice well in this game. Girassi scored a goal and provided an assist, which is exactly what we needed."

"Overall, we are very happy with the game," said 29-year-old Brandt. "We played very proactively and ran a lot. We knew Atalanta would defend one-on-one, and we responded by making a lot of positional changes, which led to Baier's goal. We successfully created space to pass the ball, and I was hoping we could score another goal in the second half."

“I think we still have one or two more chances to seize. A 2-0 lead is a bit delicate, but keeping a clean sheet and having a two-goal advantage gives us a greater sense of security. Overall, we are very satisfied and will go to Bergamo next week with confidence. Also, Guirassy is back to his best form.”

In addition, Girassi, who scored for Dortmund, said, "We were stuck in traffic for more than an hour, so we could only change our clothes in a very hurried manner in the locker room, with less than 10 minutes to prepare. But we had a good start."

“I scored another header in this game, thanks to a brilliant cross from Julian Reilson. I think this is the perfect start to the Champions League play-offs.”

Image source: Internet