DORTMUND: Borussia Dortmund cruised into the last 16 of the Champions League after a goalless draw with Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday sealed a 3-0 aggregate victory.
Serhou Guirassy missed a second-half penalty but it mattered for nothing in the end as last season’s finalists were rarely troubled by Sporting and coasted through.
Dortmund’s reward is a last 16 game against Aston Villa or Lille.
It was always a tough ask for this young Sporting side ravaged by injury to overturn the damage done in last week’s first leg, when Guirassy, Pascal Gross and Karim Adeyemi all scored.
Dortmund dominated much of the return leg on a freezing night in Germany, with Marcel Sabitzer coming closest to breaking the deadlock with a rasping drive from distance that Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva did well to palm around his post.
After the break, Dortmund got the chance to put the tie to bed from the spot when Silva was adjudged to have brought down Adeyemi in the box after Nico Schlotterbeck’s long pass split the visitors’ defense.
But Guirassy’s well-hit penalty was saved superbly by the Portuguese goalkeeper low to his right, denying the Guinean striker an 11th Champions League goal in 10 games this season.
Gio Reyna came off the bench and almost made an immediate impact against the Portuguese league leaders, hitting the post, but this was a night when Dortmund created little and Sporting even less, with the visitors failing to register a single shot on target.
Ultimately, Sporting lacked the ambition to turn around the tie, allowing Niko Kovac’s side to progress on the back of a relatively easy night’s work.
Dortmund ease into Champions League last 16 after Sporting stalemate
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Dortmund ease into Champions League last 16 after Sporting stalemate
- Serhou Guirassy missed a second-half penalty
- Dortmund dominated much of the return leg on a freezing night in Germany
Al-Hilal win to re-establish 7-point lead at the top the SPL table
- The 2-1 victory over Neom came a day after Al-Nassr had reduced the gap with a home win over Al-Shabab
- Al-Taawoun and Al-Qadsiah recorded comfortable wins over Al-Riyadh and Al-Hazem
DUBAi: Al-Hilal on Sunday night defeated Neon 2-1 to re-establish their seven-point lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League table after nearest rivals A-Nassr had reduced the gap with a win over AL-Shabab on Saturday.
Al-Hilal now have 41 points from 15 matches, with Al-Nassr second on 34 from the same number of matches.
Neom took the lead on 42 through Mohammed Al-Burayk, and managed to hold on to the lead until half-time. Simone Inzaghi’s men stepped up their play in the second period and levelled the score on 49 minutes through Hassan Al-Tambakti, who powered a header home from a Reuben Neves corner.
An identical corner routine ultimately brought about Al-Hilal’s second 15 minutes later. As another Neves corner was played into the Neon penalty area, Al-Tambakti was wrestled down to the ground and the referee had little hesitation pointing to the spot. Neves himself converted the penalty to secure the three points for Hilal.
Earlier on Sunday, Al-Qadsiah thrashed hosts Al-Hazem 5-1 with all six goal coming in the second half. Mateo Retegui opened the scoring for the visitors on 56 mnutes and Al-Qadisah quickly doubled their lead through Musab Al-Juwayr five minutes later.
Brendan Rodgers’ team were coasting, and despite a host of substitutions by Al-Hazem half way through the second half, the result was put beyond any doubt when Julian Quinones scored on 73 minutes before Ahmed Al-Nakhli’s own goal made it 4-0. With four minutes left, Aboubacar Bah scored a consolation for Al-Hazem, but their was still time for Al-Qadsiah to make it 5-1 through another own goal, this time by Mohammed Isaa in stoppage time.
The result leaves Al-Qadisah fifth in the table, while Al-Hazem sit in 11th.
Meanwhile, 10-man Al-Taawoun claimed all three points at after a 3-1 win at Al-Riyadh to climb back to third, having briefly lost the position to reigning AFC Champions League winners Al-Ahli.
