Gio Reyna orchestrates Borussia Dortmund’s win over Copenhagen

Gio Reyna produced two assists, including one for Jude Bellingham, as Borussia Dortmund swept through Copenhagen in their UEFA Champions League Group G opener.

Borussia Dortmund 3-0 Copenhagen
Goals: 1-0 Reus 35′ (pass: Brandt), 2-0 Guerreiro 42′ (assist: Reyna), 3-0 Bellingham 83′ (assist: Reyna)

Dortmund rookie goalkeeper Alexander Meyer cut a relieved figure in the first minute as Zeca hit the upright with a low shot from distance. Heeding the warning, BVB took full control afterwards, with Anthony Modeste shining from a Julian Brandt cross late in the game. Die Schwarzgelbenis the first significant attack. Marco Reus made a similar mistake around the half hour mark but made no mistake with a trademark run and finish moments later. Raphael Guerreiro combined with substitute Reyna, before firing inside the box for Dortmund’s second goal late in the half.

As in the first half, Copenhagen came out strong. Lukas Lerager connected with a knockdown from Andreas Cornelius, but Meyer reacted brilliantly to fend off the shot. Dortmund almost added a third in response. Brandt collected a pass from Reus, but blazed with arguably better-placed Modeste in Copenhagen’s penalty area. Copenhagen goalkeeper Mathew Ryan fended off Brandt, before Bellingham put the icing on the cake. The England international swept away Reyna’s second assist of the night to complete a thoroughly professional and dominating team display from Edin Terzic’s men.

Match statistics

• Reyna, 19, made his 80th competitive appearance as a Dortmund player. He is the first American since 2010/11 to register two assists in a Champions League game.
• Dortmund’s yellow wall south terrace was at full capacity (25,000) for the first time in Champions League history, following a rule change allowing fans to stand.
• Borussia have kept nine clean sheets in their last 13 group stage home matches.
• Reus scored his 22nd Champions League goal. He is Dortmund’s top scorer in the competition.
• BVB are unbeaten against Danish sides, with a win and a draw against Brondby in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup, the only other fixtures.
• Copenhagen have never beaten Bundesliga opposition in UEFA competition in 11 attempts.

Teams

Dortmund: Meyer – Meunier, Süle, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro (Rothe 86′) – Bellingham, Özcan (Can 66′) – Brandt, Reus (c) (Wolf 86′), Hazard (Reyna 23′) – Modeste (Moukoko 67′)
Unused subtitles: Unbehaun, Hummels, Passlack, Coulibaly, Papadopoulos
Out: Adeyemi (foot), Bynoe-Gittens (shoulder), Dahoud (shoulder), Haller (cancer), Kobel (muscle), Malen (thigh), Morey (knee), Schulz (ineligible)
Coach: Edin Terzic

Copenhagen: Ryan – Diks (Jelert 81′), Vavro, Khocholava (Boilsen 81′), Kristiansen – Falk, Zeca (c) (Sorensen 72′), Lerager – Claesson, Cornelius, Daramy (Haraldsson 60′)
Unused subtitles: Johnsson, Dithmer, Johannesson, Mukairu, Lund, Karamoko, Stamenic, Bardghji
Out: Grabara (face)
Coach: Jess Thorup

How it happened!

IT’S FINISH!

Dortmund begin their 2022/23 UEFA Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win over Copenhagen. Solid in the back, clinical in the front and sensational quality in the middle of the park. Great confidence for the BVB for their trip to Leipzig this weekend in the Bundesliga.

Full time

OBJECTIVE FOR REWARDED VISITORS

A moment of neglect from Dortmund at the back allows Rasmus Falk to slip neatly in for consolation out of the post, but VAR review and rule him out for a marginal offside.

GAME, SET AND MATCH

Dortmund are advancing in numbers. Gio Reyna hands it to Jude Bellingham who inserts it into the bottom left corner of Ryan’s goal to seal the victory for the home side.

Jude bellingham

OBJECTIVE!

3 : 0

Nicolai boiled

David Khocholava

elias Jelert

Kevin Diks

CLOSE FROM BRANDT

Dortmund attack in number and want to kill this one. Brandt unleashes a powerful shot on the Copenhagen goal but it is well saved by Ryan.

SOLID AT THE BACK

Copenhagen had their chances in this match, but Dortmund’s defensive pair of Schlotterbeck and Süle eliminated any sense of danger all evening.

Christian Sorensen

carlos Zeca

TWO OUT, TWO IN

Great innings from Modeste and Özcan on their Champions League debut tonight. No goals for the former but a very practical performance in and around the box in front of the Yellow Wall.

Lucas light

Hakon Arnar Haraldsson

mohammed Darami

CLOSE!

Modeste is put to the test, before handing it to Reus who passes it to Julian Brandt but he recovers his effort just over the bar.

GREAT SAVINGS!

Alexander Meyer pulls off a great save on Lerager’s effort. Good night from beginner so far.

half time

CAPTAIN’S ON ONE TONIGHT

Dortmund are two at the break and it could have been more. Both goals involving captain Marco Reus, who finished the opener skillfully. What will the second half bring?

© Imago

ANOTHER FOR DORTMUND!

Clever pressing from Guerreiro, who works his way to the ball before laying it on Reyna for a quick one-two before receiving the ball in the box and tapping it home.

Raphael Guerreiro

OBJECTIVE!

2 : 0

MARCO REUS OUT OF THE DEADLOCK!

It comes as Dortmund take a deserved lead through their captain. Having inflated his lines moments earlier, Reus opens Dortmund’s account in Europe this season with a clinical finish after weaving his way through defenders in typical Marco Reus fashion. Nice catch.

HUGE CHANCE FOR REUS

Meunier skates to the right and cuts it perfectly into the box for Marco Reus, but he, like Modeste earlier in the half, catches the shot and it goes wide. Great luck.

David Khocholava

REYNA IN, HAZARD OUT

United States international Gio Reyna comes on as a substitute for BVB as Thorgan Hazard walks off the pitch after picking up a knock.

FIRST CHANCE FOR HOSTS

Brandt makes room for a cross from the inside right channel and lays it down to Modeste, but the Frenchman grabs the volley attempt and he shines wide.

AN EARLY CHANCE FOR VISITORS

Copenhagen have already hit the post, but a stretching Meyer would have probably covered it.

LET’S GO!

We are on our way to Dortmund!

CAN DORTMUND TAKE ITS LEAGUE FORM MID-WEEK?

Marco Reus scored the only goal in Friday night’s 1-0 Bundesliga win over TSG Hoffenheim at Signal Iduna Park. Second in the standings behind pioneers SC Freiburg, can BVB face the Danish champions tonight in the UEFA Champions League?

MORE ABOUT THE BVB TEAM

No Kobel between the sticks for Dortmund as Alexander Meyer makes his debut for the club. Last season, the 31-year-old was a stopper in Bundesliga 2 for SSV Jahn Regensburg; Today he makes his debut for Dortmund in the Champions League. Anthony Modeste leads the line at Signal Iduna Park in what is also a European debut for the Frenchman at the age of 34.

DORTMUND START LINE

Meyer – Meunier, Süle, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro – Bellingham, Özcan – Brandt, Reus (c), Hazard – Modeste

DORTMUND SUBMARINES

Unbehaun, Reyna, Hummels, Wolf, Moukoko, Can, Passlack, Rothe, Coulibaly, Papadopoulos

BEGINNING FROM COPENHAGEN

Ryan – Diks, Vavro, Khocholava, Kristiansen – Falk, Zeca (c), Lerager – Claesson, Cornelius, Daramy

COPENHAGEN SUBMARINES

Johnsson, Dithmer, Sorensen, Johannesson, Mukairu, Jelert, Boilsen, Lund, Karamoko, Haraldsson, Stamenic, Bardghji

WELCOME!

Borussia Dortmund kick off their 2022/23 UEFA Champions League campaign against Danish champions Copenhagen at Signal Iduna Park. For the first time since 1998, the Yellow Wall will be in full force on an international stage, with nearly 15,000 more fans crowding into the South Stand standing space under new regulations in Europe. It promises to be a show, so stay tuned!