On a chilly Tuesday night in Dortmund, Borussia Dortmund turned Signal Iduna Park into a cauldron of celebration, demolishing Villarreal CF 4-0 in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League phaseSignal Iduna Park. The win wasn’t just about the scoreline — it was about dominance, resilience, and a striker on fire. Despite missing two penalties, Borussia Dortmund delivered a clinical performance that left Villarreal CF reeling — and down to ten men after just seven minutes of the second half.
Guirassy’s Night of Redemption
It was Serhou Guirassy who stole the show. The 29-year-old Burkinabé striker, who joined Borussia Dortmund in 2023, opened the scoring in the 45+1st minute with a close-range finish after his initial penalty was saved by Luiz Junior, Villarreal’s 28-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper. But here’s the twist: Guirassy didn’t wait for the rebound to settle — he pounced like a predator. That wasn’t luck. That was instinct. He doubled the lead moments after the restart, converting the second penalty awarded when Juan Foyth, the 27-year-old Argentine defender, deliberately handled the ball on the goal line in the 52nd minute. The red card followed instantly. Foyth’s dismissal didn’t just change the game — it ended Villarreal’s hopes.Guirassy’s brace brought him to 11 Champions League goals this season — just one shy of Robert Lewandowski’s historic 12-goal tally for Borussia Dortmund during the 2012/13 campaign. That’s not just impressive. It’s legendary territory. OneFootball noted that Guirassy’s performance was "a statement," and with Borussia Dortmund manager Nuri Şahin — the 36-year-old former German international turned tactician — pushing for attacking freedom, the forward has never looked more lethal.
The Domino Effect: From Penalty Miss to Fourth Goal
It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Borussia Dortmund had chances to bury Villarreal even earlier. Fabio Silva, the 23-year-old Portuguese striker signed in August 2025, had a golden opportunity to make it 4-0 in the 78th minute — only to see his penalty crash off the crossbar. The crowd gasped. The players froze. But the team didn’t flinch.Instead, they doubled down. Two minutes later, Karim Adeyemi, the 23-year-old German-Ghanaian winger, scored the third in the most unorthodox fashion — a half-volley from outside the box that deflected off two defenders and looped over Luiz Junior. It wasn’t pretty. But it was effective. And then, in the 89th minute, Daniel Svensson, the 21-year-old Swedish fullback wearing number 4, rose above the defense to head home a corner from Nuri Şahin’s set-piece routine. The stadium erupted. The scoreboard read 4-0. The result was never in doubt after Foyth’s red card.
Why This Matters for Spain — and Europe
The defeat was more than just another loss for Villarreal CF. It was the third consecutive European loss since September 17, 2025, and a bitter blow to Spanish football’s Champions League hopes. On the same matchday, Athletic Club — the only Spanish side to avoid defeat — were held 0-0 by SK Slavia Prague at Fortuna Arena in Prague. That’s two Spanish teams, one point between them. And Villarreal CF now sits perilously close to the drop zone in the new 36-team League phase.Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund extended their unbeaten run to nine straight matches across all competitions since September 28, 2025. Five wins in a row now. The team’s attacking trio — Guirassy, Adeyemi, and Silva — have combined for 22 goals in their last six games. This isn’t a flash in the pan. It’s a system. A culture. A club rediscovering its identity under Şahin.
What’s Next? The Road to the Round of 16
With this win, Borussia Dortmund now sits firmly in the top eight of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League phase, guaranteeing automatic qualification for the knockout stage if they hold form. Their next test? A home game against FC Porto on December 10, 2025. Villarreal, meanwhile, must win at home against FC Copenhagen on the same day — or risk slipping into the playoff round, where one wrong step could end their European campaign.There’s a quiet revolution happening in Dortmund. Şahin’s pressing game, Guirassy’s clinical finishing, and the emergence of young talents like Svensson and Silva are turning heads across Europe. This wasn’t just a win. It was a declaration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close is Serhou Guirassy to breaking Robert Lewandowski’s Dortmund Champions League record?
Guirassy now has 11 Champions League goals this season, just one behind Robert Lewandowski’s record of 12 set during the 2012/13 campaign. Lewandowski achieved that in 10 appearances; Guirassy has reached 11 in 8 games. If he scores just once more in the final two group matches, he’ll break the record — and likely become the fastest player in Dortmund history to do so in a single Champions League season.
Why did Villarreal’s defense collapse after the red card?
Juan Foyth’s 52nd-minute red card wasn’t just a numbers disadvantage — it shattered Villarreal’s tactical structure. Foyth was their most reliable central defender, and his absence forced them into a 4-4-1 formation with no true stopper. Dortmund exploited the space behind their fullbacks relentlessly, and with no organized second line of defense, the backline became vulnerable to through balls and crosses — which is exactly how Adeyemi and Svensson scored.
What impact does this result have on Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga title hopes?
While the win boosts morale, Dortmund still trail Bayern Munich by five points in the Bundesliga after 12 matchdays. But the Champions League performance signals a team playing with confidence and cohesion. If they maintain this form, they could challenge for the title — especially if their midfield, led by 22-year-old Julian Brandt, continues dictating tempo. A deep European run also means more revenue, which could fund key January signings.
How unusual is it for a team to win 4-0 despite missing two penalties?
It’s rare — but not unprecedented. Since 2000, only 12 teams in Champions League history have won by a 4+ goal margin despite missing at least one penalty. What makes Dortmund’s case unique is that they scored both goals from the second attempts — turning potential embarrassment into momentum. The fact that they didn’t panic after Silva’s crossbar miss shows remarkable mental strength, something Nuri Şahin has cultivated since taking over in July 2024.
Why is the new UEFA Champions League format making this win more important?
The 2024/25 shift to a 36-team League phase means every point counts more. Teams now play eight matches instead of six, and only the top eight qualify automatically for the Round of 16. Positions 9–24 enter playoffs. Dortmund’s win put them firmly in the top eight, avoiding the risk of a knockout tie against a stronger opponent. A loss here could’ve dropped them into the playoff scramble — a scenario that would’ve made their path to the final far more treacherous.
Is Serhou Guirassy becoming Dortmund’s new all-time European hero?
He’s on the path. With 23 goals in 32 European appearances for Dortmund, Guirassy is already the club’s most prolific non-European scorer in UCL history. If he scores in both remaining group games, he’ll surpass the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus in total European goals for the club. He’s not just a finisher — he’s becoming the symbol of Dortmund’s resurgence under Şahin, carrying the weight of expectation with calm precision.
