Cigarini gives Sevilla victory at Dortmund
Thursday, September 30, 2010
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Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Sevilla FC
Luca Cigarini's goal in first-half added time gave incoming Sevilla coach Gregorio Manzano a dream debut in Germany.
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Gregorio Manzano enjoyed a winning start to life on the Sevilla FC bench as Luca Cigarini's goal in first-half added time proved enough to beat Borussia Dortmund, who had Marcel Schmelzer sent off shortly after the interval.
Former RCD Mallorca boss Manzano, who took over on Monday after Antonio Álvarez's dismissal, must have been mystified as to how his new charges turned around at the break with the lead as it had been one-way traffic until Sevilla scored with their first genuine opportunity.
Tiberio Guarente's free-kick from the right was headed back across goal by Alexis and Dortmund defender Neven Subotić succeeded only in nodding it straight to Cigarini, who stabbed home with glee. Cigarini's strike brought to an end a run of four straight defeats in continental competition for the 2006 and 2007 UEFA Cup winners.
Prior to Cigarini's breakthrough, Lucas Barrios had three decent headed chances for Dortmund. The Paraguyan international forward thrives on service from the flanks and he drew a magnificent full-length stop from Andrés Palop with the second of them.
Dortmund's task was complicated further when they were reduced to ten men in the 49th minute when Schmelzer, already booked just before the break, was issued a second yellow card. As the game became increasingly heated, Shinji Kagawa hit the post for Dortmund, while Sevilla substitute Álvaro Negredo spurned a glorious late chance for a two-goal cushion.
Ten-man Dortmund gave everything they had and in the final minute of normal time Mats Hummels had a header cleared off the line by Martín Cáceres. Sevilla move level with Dortmund on three points ahead of their Matchday 3 trip to Group J's bottom club FC Karpaty Lviv on 21 October. Dortmund are at home against section leaders Paris Saint-Germain FC on the same evening.