UCL | Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Atalanta: Guirassy overpowers La Dea

Atalanta paid a heavy price for defensive distractions, as Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier gave Borussia Dortmund a 2-0 first leg lead in the Champions League play-offs.

La Dea had been on the verge of direct qualification to the Round of 16, until back-to-back defeats to Athletic Club and Union Saint-Gilloise. Charles De Ketelaere and Giacomo Raspadori were both ruled out for at least a month this week, but Gianluca Scamacca returned to the starting XI. Borussia Dortmund had drawn 4-4 away to Juventus, but crumbled with one point from the last three against Bodo/Glimt, Tottenham and Inter. They won their last six Bundesliga ties in a row, despite missing Filippo Mane, Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck and Nicklas Sule, so 18-year-old Italian Luca Reggiani got his Champions League debut.

Kick-off had to be delayed by 15 minutes because the Borussia Dortmund team bus was caught in traffic on their way to the stadium.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It took under three minutes for the hosts to take the lead, as Julian Ryerson whipped in a cross from the right and Serhou Guirassy comfortably leapt over Odilon Kossounou for the towering header.

Serhou Guirassy leaps high to head Dortmund into an early lead against Atalanta

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Nicola Zalewski drew out the goalkeeper and rolled across from the left, but Daniel Svensson made a crucial block to prevent Mario Pasalic tapping into an empty net from five yards as they came sliding in.

Sead Kolasinac came flying out of defence to set up Zalewski for another dangerous situation, while a ferocious Felix Nmecha strike was charged down by Kossounou and Waldemar Anton’s header was over from a Ryerson free kick.

Borussia Dortmund doubled their advantage just before half-time, as Guirassy completed a give and go with Nmecha to burst down the left and roll across, finding Maximilian Beier unmarked to bundle over the line.

Maximilian Beier doubles Dortmund's advantage

A nice break down the left from Serhou Guirassy has Atalanta on the back foot…

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Nikola Krstovic tested the goalkeeper from distance, while Julian Brandt blasted over after Marco Carnesecchi parried an in-swinging corner, but Krstovic and Zalewski strikes were charged down.

Krstovic put in a fine cross, but it only grazed the head of Kamaldeen Sulemana in a good position, and Lazar Samardzic’s curler was too close to the goalkeeper.

In stoppages, Ramy Bensebaini made a fantastic sliding tackle to stop Krstovic tapping in the Sulemana low roll across from five yards.

Atalanta have it all to do in the second leg on February 25.

Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Atalanta

Guirassy 3 (B), Beier 42 (B)