Borussia Dortmund secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in three years with goals from Jadon Sancho and Marco Reus against PSV Eindhoven.
Dortmund took the lead in the third minute with Sancho’s powerful shot from the edge of the area.
Although Niclas Fullkrug had a second goal disallowed due to an offside decision, Dortmund continued their pressure.
In the dying moments of stoppage time, substitute Reus capitalized on a mistake by PSV’s defense to score one-on-one against goalkeeper Walter Benitez, sealing the victory for Dortmund.
PSV squandered numerous opportunities to level the score, with Hirving Lozano being particularly inefficient, resulting in punishment for Peter Bosz’s team, who currently hold a 10-point lead at the top of the Eredivisie.
Lozano, introduced as a substitute in the second half, missed wide from close range, shot directly at home goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, and failed to hit the target from the edge of the area.
PSV’s best chance came just a minute before Dortmund’s late second goal.
Luuk de Jong connected with a one-two opportunity but leaned back and fired over from close range, marking a frustrating end to PSV’s Champions League journey.
The home team could have taken the lead even earlier in the match when Chelsea loanee Ian Maatsen’s powerful strike was tipped over by Benitez, before Sancho’s early goal set the tone for the game, and Reus, coming off the bench, secured Dortmund’s place in the quarter-finals with his late goal.
Sancho sparkles on important night for Dortmund
Sancho returned to Dortmund on loan in January and netted his first league goal since his comeback in a 2-1 victory over Werder Bremen last weekend.
This goal marked his 39th in the league, putting him on par with Tony Woodcock as the leading English scorer in Bundesliga history.
Following this achievement, the England international scored his first Champions League goal since November 2021 and was honored as the Player of the Match for his performance.
Unfortunately, he had to be substituted in the 72nd minute due to a suspected hamstring injury, making way for Reus.
Dortmund will be hopeful that the injury is not severe, as Sancho has been regaining his form from his previous stint in Germany.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Sancho said: “Coming into the game, we knew it was going to be tough but we always had the advantage because we were in front of our home fans.
“From the first whistle to the last, we stuck at our game plan and I’m just happy we got the win.
“I’m just grateful that I got the goal for the team. I’ve always got a special place for Borussia Dortmund, this is where I kind of made my name so I’ve got to be grateful to them but also to my team-mates for believing in me.”