Aubameyang scored a hat-trick, Dortmund eliminated Benfica

The German representative won a ticket to the Champions League quarter-finals thanks to a resounding 4-0 victory in the second leg after losing 0-1 in the first leg.

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A hat-trick from striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and a goal from Christian Pulisic helped Dortmund overcome their opponents from Portugal. For Aubameyang personally, this was considered a redemption for the Gabon striker after he missed a penalty in the first leg.

With three goals in this match, Aubameyang has scored seven goals for Dortmund in the Champions League this year, behind only Lionel Messi (11 goals) and Edinson Cavani (eight goals) in the Golden Boot race. Just under four minutes into the match, Aubameyang opened the scoring for his team when he was in the right place to meet a headed pass from Christian Pulisic.

Benfica played well for nearly an hour after conceding the first goal, creating scoring chances but finishing poorly, most notably having two shots blocked by Franco Cervi.

Aubameyang has seven goals in the Champions League this season. Photo: Reuters.

The Portuguese side paid the price for squandering their chances, conceding two goals in two minutes. First came a clever run from 18-year-old Pulisic and a chip into the net. Then came Aubameyang's close-range tap-in from Marcel Schmelzer's one-touch cross.

These two goals helped Dortmund to relieve the psychological burden. Before that, they had to play relatively cautiously to avoid the opponent scoring an away goal. Playing comfortably, Dortmund created many chances in the final minutes of the match. Gonzalo Castro had a dangerous volley, Marc Bartra headed against the post before Aubameyang completed his hat-trick on the counter-attack.

What separated the two teams in this match was their finishing. While Dortmund beat the goalkeeper four times with five shots on target, Benfica failed to do so despite having four shots on target. The difference was Aubameyang, a quality striker who knows how to take chances, something Benfica lack.

In addition to the three goals, Dortmund also created many opportunities in this match. Photo: Reuters.

Midfielder Marco Reus was unable to play in this match due to a hamstring injury. Dortmund therefore lost a creative player. However, Christian Pulisic did well in the role left by his senior. The American midfielder scored a beautiful goal and contributed an assist.

With this victory, Dortmund reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the third time in the last decade. They will be a tough opponent to beat, especially at home. In the last 11 Champions League matches played at the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund have lost only once.

According to VNE