Atletico 2 Dortmund 1: Simeone’s men edge towards Champions League semi-finals with De Paul and Lino goals
JADON SANCHO’S bid to become the first Manchester United player to reach a Champions League Final in the post-Ferguson era remains alive after a late Sebastien Haller strike.
The Borussia Dortmund winger, on loan from Old Trafford, was impressive as the Germans seized a lifeline in this quarter-final first leg, after Atletico had stormed into an early two-goal lead.
Sancho was frozen out by Erik ten Hag after accusing his United boss of ‘scapegoating’ him – spending four months training with the kids before Dortmund tossed him a lifeline.
But while United have long since departed the European stage – finishing bottom of their Champions League group – outcast Sancho has been eyeing a Wembley final at the German club with whom he first made his name.
There were flashes of brilliance here from Sancho – the dribbles, the feints, the shoulder-drops – signs that he shaken off his ring rust and still has a serious future at elite level.
Perhaps even at United, should Ten Hag be sent packing this summer, after the Dutchman’s tough-guy stance with Sancho having failed to pay dividends.
Dortmund hope to re-sign him on a permanent basis this summer but United’s £34milion asking price may prove too steep.
At 24, and with two and half years having passed since the last of his 23 England caps, Sancho remains a tormentor of full-backs, with rapid feet and supreme ball control.
He was Dortmund’s most threatening player but that was not saying too much, as they were out-fought and out-classed until a strong late spell of pressure.
The idea of Sancho enjoying a Wembley date on June 1 is still on the cards, despite the defensive errors which gifted goals to Atletico’s Rodrigo De Paul and Samuel Lino.
Sancho’s parent club haven’t reached the last four of the Champions League in 13 years, although Javier Hernandez did reach a semi-final while on loan at Real Madrid from United in 2015.
Sancho’s return to Dortmund has not been a roaring success. He has one goal and one assist from ten Bundesliga appearances – a far cry from the stats he used to rattle up before leaving the German club for £73million in 2021.
But he did score in the last-16 victory over PSV Eindhoven in the previous round to help set up this quarter-final tie.
With the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium jumping and Simeone’s boys flying out of the traps, it was another Premier League loanee who provided the unwitting assist for Atletico’s early opener.
Ian Maatsen, the Dutch full-back on loan at Dortmund from Chelsea, produced a disastrous defensive pass which allowed Argentinian World Cup winner De Paul to stab the hosts into a fifth-minute lead.
Axel Witsel almost added a quick-fire second with a flying back-heel that forced a fine save from Gregor Kobel.
Sancho was switching from the right wing to the left and back again, but struggling to get a kick early on.
Some nifty footwork from the Londoner did win Dortmund a corner on the half-hour, but soon Dortmund were further behind.
Another defensive lapse, this time from Mats Hummels, allowed Antoine Griezmann to chip a gorgeous pass to Lino, who slotted home.
As his team threatened to capitulate, Sancho was coming into the game far more and just before half-time he shot wide after cutting in from the right.
Kobel denied Lino a second with an excellent save before former West Ham striker Haller, on as a sub, drilled in an 81st-minute strike.
And then Dortmund’s other Englishman, 19-year-old sub Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, hammered a long-range shot against the crossbar as the visitors pressed hard for an equaliser.
That late rally suggested a Dortmund comeback at the Westfalenstadion on Tuesday night is a distinct possibility.