Birthday boy Pulisic gifts Dortmund win
Atletico come from behind to defeat Monaco
Borussia Dortmund's United States forward Christian Pulisic came off the bench to grab a late goal for a 1-0 Champions League Group A victory over Club Brugge on Tuesday.
A game of few clear-cut chances looked to be heading for a stalemate before Brugge defender Matej Mitrovic’s clearance looped off the outstretched leg of Pulisic and into the net after 85 minutes, a gift on the striker’s 20th birthday.
Dortmund had dominated possession at the Jan Breydelstadion, especially in the second half, and ended a run of eight games without a victory in the Champions League.
The German side handed a debut in the competition to 18-year-old Jadon Sancho, the youngest English player to make his bow in the Champions League for a team outside England.
Dortmund’s Marius Wolf shot over from the edge of the box inside 13 seconds after Brugge goalkeeper Karlo Letica cleared a weak back-pass straight to him in a nervy start for the hosts.
Jelle Vossen headed just wide for Brugge and fullback Arnaut Groeneveld forced a fine save from Dortmund keeper Roman Buerki with a stinging low drive from 25 metres.
Abdou Diallo was then inches away from giving the visitors the lead as he sought a touch to Lukasz Piszczek’s header from a corner, but the first half ended goalless.
Piszczek spurned a great chance at the back post from Shinji Kagawa’s cross when he failed to get the right connection before Brugge teenage substitute Lois Openda had their best opportunity minutes after coming on as he shot straight at Burki.
However, the final opportunity fell to Pulisic, whose persistence paid off to seal three points for his side leaving them alongside Atletico Madrid who won 2-1 at AS Monaco.
In Group A's other match, Atletico Madrid battled their way back from a goal down to pull off a confidence-boosting 2-1 win at AS Monaco in Champions League with a defiant response to their troubling start to the domestic season.
Atletico have won only one La Liga game so far and their problems at home looked to have followed them into Europe when some haphazard defending allowed forward Samuel Grandsir to score from close range and put the French side ahead in the 18th minute.
Diego Simeone's side continued to suffer and it took a flying save from goalkeeper Jan Oblak to prevent Jean-Eudes Aholou from doubling Monaco's lead with a venomous long-range strike.
Diego Costa gave the visitors a lifeline just after the half-hour mark by controlling a clever through ball from Antoine Griezmann and providing a cool finish.
It proved a shot in the arm to Atletico and they responded by dominating the rest of the half, eventually clinching the winner on the stroke of halftime when defender Jose Gimenez headed home from a corner, helped by sloppy goalkeeping from Monaco keeper Danijel Subasic.
Costa had a goal correctly ruled out for offside at the start of the second period and Atletico came under pressure in the final stages but withstood a late charge from Monaco to see out a much-needed victory.