Three Takeaways from Borussia Dortmund’s triumphant 3-1 win over Shakthar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League | OneFootball

Finally… Finally Borussia Dortmund delivered a win.

Take a deep breath… Exhale. Do you feel better?

Borussia Dortmund defeated Shakthar Donetsk 3-1, and they did it in style. Sure, there were Shakey periods, and a bit of a mishap, but that’s Dortmund for you. Tullberg’s second match in charge saw an attacking-minded line-up including Gittens, Adeyemi, and Brandt, in addition to both club strikers, Guirassy and Beier. These players didn’t let us down. Hardly anyone disappointed in this match, and perhaps that was the most refreshing part. (I'll forgive Kobel)

Adeyemi used his speed to offer a constant press, Guirassy scored twice from open play, Brandt was comfortable in the 10 again and cut through Shaktar’s defense to assist the second goal. Schlotterbeck was a leader on the pitch and created several accurate long balls, Bensebaini was stellar and finished a very mature chip, Ryerson’s set-pieces were surprisingly accurate, and Emre Can didn’t do anything noticeably bad. I could keep going.

Dortmund might not have made the top eight, but this was a hard-fought win and deserves to be celebrated.  Until the weekend, here are my takeaways: