Ex-Dundee United keeper concedes eight in record UCL result

Former Dundee United stopper Radoslaw Cierzniak endured a tough night in the Champions League as his Legia Warsaw side lost 8-4 to Borussia Dortmund.

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Radoslaw Cierzniak had a rough night against Borussia Dortmund. Picture: GettyRadoslaw Cierzniak had a rough night against Borussia Dortmund. Picture: Getty
Radoslaw Cierzniak had a rough night against Borussia Dortmund. Picture: Getty

The teams produced the highest-scoring aggregate Champions League score, with five goals in the first 25 minutes another first in the competition - part of a crazy spell which saw seven goals in 17 first-half minutes.

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Aleksandar Prijovic’s double either side of Shinji Kagawa’s brace and a fluke goal from Nuri Sahin saw the hosts go 3-2 up for the historical moment, before Ousmane Dembele and a strike from Marco Reus in both halves gave Dortmund a comfortable lead.

Radoslaw Cierzniak spent three seasons at Tannadice. Picture: GettyRadoslaw Cierzniak spent three seasons at Tannadice. Picture: Getty
Radoslaw Cierzniak spent three seasons at Tannadice. Picture: Getty

Michal Kucharczyk pulled one back for the Polish side before Felix Passlack netted a header following a quick breakaway. Nemanja Nikolic then scored again before Reus completed his treble to seal a memorable night.

Cierzniak wasn’t able to make a save until the German side were 6-3 up during the second half. It was Cierzniak’s first start since signing for Legia this past summer. He spent a year at Wisła Kraków after three seasons at Tannadice.

While he couldn’t do much about five of Dortmund’s strikes, he was at fault for goals three and eight, while he could have done better for the fourth.

Dortmund kept up their 100 per cent Champions League record with the result.

Radoslaw Cierzniak spent three seasons at Tannadice. Picture: GettyRadoslaw Cierzniak spent three seasons at Tannadice. Picture: Getty
Radoslaw Cierzniak spent three seasons at Tannadice. Picture: Getty

Captain for the night Reus and Sahin made their first starts of the season following lengthy injury lay-offs as the hosts started the match with plenty of possession and intensity before their Polish opposition took a shock lead.

In their first meaningful attack, Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe outmuscled Marc Bartra to control a long ball downfield before finding Prijovic in the area, who expertly found the far corner with the outside of his right foot to give the visitors a 10th minute advantage.

Dortmund deservedly equalised after Sebastien Rode found Dembele, who produced a great first-time cross which was nodded in by Kagawa for his first goal of the season.

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The Japanese international only had to wait 78 seconds to double his tally when he showed neat footwork to create space and thunder in a shot into the bottom corner on 18 minutes.

Sahin made it 3-1 shortly after in fortuitous fashion after Cierzniak punched Reus’ free-kick against the Turkish international with the ball ricocheting into the empty net.

But Prijovic reduced the arrears, sidefooting home his second of the match to reduce the arrears and give the visitors hope - only for Dembele to power past Cierzniak to restore the two-goal cushion.

Reus made it 5-2 when he finished off a lovely move after Sahin’s scooped pass over the defence found Kagawa, who played a first-time pass across goal for the German international to tap in, before a goal-laden half concluded after Kagawa had a strike rightly disallowed for offside.

The goals continued soon after the resumption with Reus notching his second of the evening in the 52nd minute, converting Dembele’s low cross to make it 6-2.

But the Warsaw side pulled one back through a quick counter-attack which saw Kucharczyk coolly slot past Roman Weidenfeller with 33 minutes still remaining.

Substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang nearly extended the lead for the home side but his shot clattered the left-hand post, before Passlack headed in Andre Schurrle’s parried effort to put Dortmund 7-3 up with nine minutes remaining.

Two minutes later Nikolic scored a fourth for the away side to reduce the deficit before Reus completed his hat-trick in stoppage-time to make sure history was created.

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