Serhou Guirassy scored once and provided an assist as Borussia Dortmund defeated Atalanta 2–0 at home on Tuesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off.

Despite a delayed arrival that pushed kick-off back by 15 minutes and a defensive injury crisis that left them with just one recognised centre-back, Dortmund dominated proceedings from start to finish.

Guirassy headed the hosts in front early before setting up Maximilian Beier late in the first half, giving the Germans a commanding advantage ahead of next week’s return leg in Italy.

“It was a perfect start but a weird evening,” Guirassy told Amazon Prime.
“We were in traffic for an hour and 15 minutes and only had 10 minutes to get ready after we arrived, so it was nice of course to score after three minutes.”

Midfielder Julian Brandt cautioned that the tie was far from over, describing the 2–0 lead as “still dangerous” ahead of the second leg in Bergamo, while praising his side’s focus despite the disrupted build-up.

“A lot is working for us now. Even in difficult situations, we’re managing it,” Brandt said. “We converted the stress into energy, but it shouldn’t become the norm.”

Atalanta, who arrived on time, struggled defensively and lacked cohesion going forward, missing the attacking spark of injured midfielder Charles De Ketelaere.

The winners of the tie will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the last 16, the teams that finished first and second respectively in the league phase.

Despite a run of six straight Bundesliga victories, Dortmund were hit by a defensive crisis, with Nico Schlotterbeck, Niklas Süle, Emre Can and Filippo Mané all sidelined.

Coach Niko Kovač handed 18-year-old Luca Reggiani his first senior start alongside Waldemar Anton, the club’s last fit centre-back.

Fresh from a five-goal haul in his previous three matches, Guirassy wasted no time continuing his resurgence. He nodded in a Julian Ryerson cross after three minutes, then turned provider just before the break with a precise pass across goal for Beier to tap home.

Dortmund managed the second half with control and composure, limiting chances at both ends to see out a deserved two-goal victory.