Well that was a game that happened! Borussia Dortmund won 2-1 over Azerbaijani side, Sabah FK, and it was a match to forget. Sabah entered this match seriously outgunned against an underperforming Borussia Dortmund. For Dortmund, the objective was simple: survive the ten-hour roundtrip with all three points. They did that and here's how.
The first fifteen to twenty minutes were very lively for Dortmund and showcased the gulf in talent. Sabah had the first meaningful chance of the match when Kaheem Parris burst down the right side of the field on a counterattack. Dortmund quickly responded after Fabio Silva out-muscled 6'3" Steve Solvet (very embarrassing for Steve) only to fluff his shot. Chukwuemeka showcased some great skill to find Guirassy at the penalty to spot but Guirassy sent his shot wide. No worries – our #9 put away a very similar chance just moments later in the 10th minute. Once again, Silva and Chukwuemeka looked very bright in the lead up to this goal.
Dortmund continued to pile on the pressure with Veerman and Nmecha both having great chances on the edge of the box but Sabah grew into the game and got the equalizer off a free-kick into the box. Sabah's center-back, Aden McCarthy, found space between Nico Schlotterbeck and Waldemar Anton to get his head on the ball from four yards out. It was the return of #SadPieces and a bad look for Dortmund's two veteran center-backs. Sabah ended the half with a flurry of chances that they failed to put away.
The second half saw the game become very boring
settle down. Veerman sent in a beautiful cross for Guirassy in the 53rd minute and the Guinean scored his fourth UCL goal of the season. Serhou should've got his hat-trick in the 70th minute but failed to beat Sabah's goalkeeper. A volley of substitutes from both teams broke up the pace of the match as I fought to stay awake. The match ended 2-1 and we all felt sweet relief.
Here are the highlights if you're having trouble falling asleep tonight:
Dortmund snapped two streaks in this match. The first was a three-game winless run since the international break that saw them drop four points in the Bundesliga and three points in the Champions League. The second was a streak of four straight away defeats in the Champions League going back to November 2025. Sabah Fk presented an easy opportunity to break those streaks and Borussia Dortmund did everything they needed.
While the game itself was dull, Dortmund's performance was ultimately a professional display. They led in every important metric; expected goals, shots, touches in the opposition box, possession, and big chances. You would've hoped Dortmund would rack up an impressive scoreline but a professional display gets us back on track all the same.
Niko Kovac still has not found his preferred front three. Since the international break, Dortmund have started four different front threes: Sabitzer-Nwaneri-Guirassy against Bremen, Inacio-Karetsas-Silva against Bodø, Beier-Nwaneri-Guirassy against Union Berlin, and Silva-Chukwuemeka-Guirassy against Sabah. Injuries and load management play a part in this but ultimately the heavy rotation falls on the players' inability to make the spot their own. None have shined in the attacking half-spaces that are integral to Kovac's system. Guirassy's two goals today were the first time a Dortmund forward scored since Maxi Beier's 70th minute goal against Stuttgart on September 19. Based on these performances, here's how I would rank Dortmund's attackers:
Guirassy (by a large margin)
Silva
Nwaneri
Chukwuemeka
Karetsas (injured)
Beier
Sabitzer
I don't love that list and you could convince me to re-rank anyone but Guirassy. Silva and Chukwuemeka looked good today but it was against Dortmund's weakest opposition. If Dortmund were to play a must win match tomorrow, I'm not sure who I would pick behind Guirassy.
Lots of talk after the Bodø and Union Berlin matchs centered around Joey Veerman – how does he fit into this team? Against Bodø, Veerman struggled to match the physical intensity of the match and failed to play through the press. Against Union Berlin, Dortmund needed a player to make decisive passes while Veerman sat on the bench. Today, Veerman was Dortmund's six pulling strings, finding his teammates, and making incisive plays. There's a big reason for this: Sabah were very willing to play in a low block and counterattack rather than press in midfield. This allowed Veerman to collect the ball earlier and play with the game in front of him. Here's his heat map from those two games courtesy of FotMob:
Against Bodø (60 minutes):
Against Sabah (90 minutes):
It's a stark difference. Unlike against Bodø, Veerman was able to pick up the ball deeper and earlier as Dortmund possessed the ball. Bodø forced him to turn and beat the press if he wanted to open the field but Sabah didn't (or simply couldn't). The reality of Veerman is that he has a specific skillset that can help the team against certain opposition but will struggle against others. I have a feeling public opinion of Veerman will continue to oscillate depending on what team Dortmund played last.
I'd genuinely love to hear how everyone ranks Dortmund's attackers at the moment, including Karetsas. Also – let me know how you think Veerman played!
