Dortmund Conclude 'Rollercoaster' Day in Champions League Semifinals

Marcel Sabitzer played a pivotal role in Borussia Dortmund's thrilling 4-2 victory over Atlético Madrid on Tuesday, securing their place in the Champions League semifinals. Despite losing the first leg 2-1 in Madrid, Dortmund staged a remarkable comeback to win 5-4 on aggregate.

Julian Brandt kicked off the scoring to level the tie, followed by Sabitzer's assist to Ian Maatsen, giving Dortmund a 2-0 lead on the night. However, Atlético bounced back with goals from a Mats Hummels own goal and substitute Joaquín Correa, putting the Spanish side ahead on aggregate.

But Dortmund refused to relent, with Sabitzer providing an assist to Niclas Füllkrug in the 71st minute, breaking his nine-game goal drought. Sabitzer then sealed the victory with a goal of his own just three minutes later, propelling Dortmund into the semifinals.

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Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke hailed the exhilarating victory as a significant moment for the club, highlighting their return to the semifinals for the first time since 2013. Dortmund will now face Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals, a rematch of their group stage encounters where Dortmund lost away and drew at home.

Reflecting on their upcoming clash with PSG, Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said: "Our first game against them wasn't good. In the second game, we adjusted to them better and were closer to victory. I think we're a better team today than we were against them in the group stage,"

The Champions League final is scheduled for June 1 in London, a city where Borussia Dortmund faced bitter disappointment in the 2013 final, losing 2-1 to arch-rivals Bayern Munich.

Following Tuesday's victory, Dortmund extended their unbeaten streak at home in the Champions League to 10 games.

Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone acknowledged Dortmund's superiority, stating, "We were close to tying the game, but they were superior, and when a team is superior they should be congratulated."

Atlético relied heavily on goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who made crucial saves against Julian Brandt and Karim Adeyemi before Brandt finally broke through in the 34th minute. Brandt's powerful shot, which deflected off Oblak's leg, gave Dortmund the lead after eluding former teammate Axel Witsel.

Marcel Sabitzer then orchestrated Dortmund's second goal, combining with Ian Maatsen, who netted his first Champions League goal by slotting the ball inside the far post in the 39th minute.

However, Atlético quickly leveled the tie just four minutes into the second half when Mats Hummels inadvertently redirected Mario Hermoso's header into his own net.

Joaquín Correa missed a golden opportunity to extend Atlético's lead shortly thereafter, but made amends in the 64th minute, slotting home a rebound after his initial effort was blocked.

Despite Atlético's brief resurgence, Dortmund responded swiftly, with Sabitzer playing a key role in both goals as Dortmund scored twice in three minutes to secure a thrilling victory and send the home fans into raptures.

"It was a crazy game for the fans and for us. A great game for us, for our fans and for all football fans around the world," Brandt said after receiving his man-of-the-match award.

"It's going to be very serious now against Paris. We played well against them at home in the group stage, but not well away. We want to do better now and, of course, reach the final."

Niclas Fullkrug, who found the back of the net in the match, will embark on a new journey in the Champions League semifinals.

"I've never played at this level before and I'm very proud to be in the semifinals of the Champions League with my team," Fullkrug said. "Things will certainly be different against Paris than in the group stage."

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