Kovač warns Dortmund over finishing: 'We are wasting our chances far too generously'

Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovač has called on his side to be more clinical in front of goal after a string of clear chances went begging in their hard-fought 2-1 Champions League win over Sabah.

Before the game, Kovač had described the trip to Azerbaijan as the ideal opportunity to end an attacking drought that had seen his side fail to score in their last 2 matches.

Serhou Guirassy capitalised on an error from goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov to put Dortmund ahead in the 10th minute, but hosts Sabah levelled through Aden McCarthy just before half-time. Eight minutes into the second half, Guirassy was in the right place at the right time to meet Joey Veerman's cross and score his second and his team's second, sealing the victory.

Even so, there were more hair-tearing moments in front of goal for Kovač's side. The Bundesliga giants produced 22 shots, 9 of them on target, and generated an expected goals (xG) figure of 3.73, yet could not extend their lead.

Speaking after the match, Kovač said: "We played very well going forward and created countless chances. If we had taken even half of those opportunities, we would have won by three or four goals. The simple mistakes we made let the opponents back into the game. It was a tough match, but we definitely got a deserved win."

Dortmund sporting director Ole Book echoed Kovač's comments, stressing that the team must be more ruthless in attack: "After such a long journey — not just for us but for our supporters too — taking the three points was very valuable. It was a crucial win, especially after our defeat in Norway. It feels good to end a three-match run without a victory. But had we been more decisive and ruthless in front of goal, we could have made things much easier for ourselves. Still, in terms of the quality of our play, we have taken an important step forward."

Despite their finishing problems, Dortmund ended a run of 4 consecutive away defeats in the Champions League and recorded their first win on the road in the competition for 364 days, since their match against Copenhagen.

Match-winner Guirassy (21) became only the second player after Marco Reus (24) to pass the 20-goal mark in the Champions League for Dortmund. Having reached the milestone in 27 games, the Guinea striker is the second-fastest player to score 20 Champions League goals for a German club (Harry Kane leads the way, having scored 20 in 26 games). He is also one of four players to have passed 20 Champions League goals since the start of the 2024-25 season (Kane 28, Mbappé 24, Guirassy 21, Haaland 20).

Dortmund's No. 9 Guirassy, who finished the game with 8 shots, 4 of them on target, also pointed to the missed chances: "It was a very important win for the team, so I'm very happy. The last two games were difficult for us and we had to win. We did that. I congratulate the team and our supporters, who never left us on our own. But it's also clear that we need to make better use of the chances we create."