Borussia Dortmund put on a dominating display against Union Berlin, clinching a remarkable 6-0 victory at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday. The match showcased the brilliance of Serhou Guirassy, who notched four goals, propelling his team to their first Bundesliga win under new coach Niko Kovac.
The evening started on a fortunate note for Dortmund when Union Berlin’s Diego Leite inadvertently scored an own goal in the 25th minute, giving the hosts the lead they desperately needed. Just before halftime, Guirassy doubled the advantage, heading home Pascal Gross' cross with precision. This marked his 20th goal across all competitions this season, solidifying his status as Dortmund’s star forward.
After the break, Dortmund exhibited almost complete control of the game. They continued to create chances, with Guirassy almost adding to the scoreline earlier and Karim Adeyemi hitting the post. "We needed this win to lift our spirits after the previous results," Guirassy commented after the match. His second goal came shortly after the 75th minute, where he confidently smashed the ball past Union's goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow.
Five minutes later, Guirassy completed his hat-trick, tapping the ball in from close range after some elegant team play. He wasn’t done yet; just two minutes later, he headed home another assist from Gross, marking his fourth goal of the night. This significant outburst of goals made Guirassy the third Dortmund player to score four goals in a Bundesliga match this millennium, joining the ranks of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Erling Haaland.
To cap off the night, Maximilian Beier scored Dortmund's sixth goal just before the final whistle, courtesy of another assist from Gross, who ended the game with four assists—a remarkable accomplishment itself, placing him among the handful of players to achieve such feat since the Bundesliga's formation.
This emphatic victory couldn't have come at a more opportune time for Dortmund, who had only one win from their past six league matches. The result lifted them to 32 points, allowing them to move up the table to tenth place. Meanwhile, Union Berlin remains mired around the relegation battle, stagnant at 24 points and sitting just 10 points away from the automatic relegation spots.
Dortmund fans erupted with joy as their team displayed clinical finishing and cohesiveness not seen consistently this season. After the match, Kovac expressed relief and optimism moving forward: "This was exactly the kind of performance we were aiming for, and it sets the tone for the rest of the season. We have the quality and potential, and now we need to keep pushing forward." The coach's satisfaction was clear as he praised Guirassy’s contributions both as a scorer and as part of the team dynamic.
Union Berlin, on the other hand, faces difficult questions after their lackluster performance. They struggled to make significant impacts, with their only notable chances coming from Benedict Hollerbach and Danilho Doekhi, who both failed to capitalize when opportunities arose. The defeat extended Union's poor form against Dortmund, who have now won all their last six meetings, with this being the most lopsided of them all.
The match will certainly be one to forget for the visiting team, but for Borussia Dortmund, it stands as not only a celebration of skill and teamwork but also hope for revival as they push to finish higher up the league standings. With the Bundesliga season still with many matches left to play, fans and analysts will be keeping one eye on Guirassy and the squad to see if this can be the catalyst for consistency as they now look to build on their recent success.