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
Rodrygo’s winner lifts Real Madrid past Alaves to end losing streak
- The victory keeps Real second in the standings on 39 points, four adrift of Barcelona, while Alaves are 12th on 18 points
VITORIA-GASTEIZ, Spain: Rodrygo secured Real Madrid a crucial 2-1 victory over Deportivo Alaves on Sunday in LaLiga, ending a dismal run of form and keeping them within four points of leaders Barcelona.
Real, under pressure after two straight losses in all competitions, broke the deadlock through Kylian Mbappe’s stunning first-half strike.
However, a resilient Alaves levelled in the 68th minute through Carlos Vicente. The visitors restored their lead eight minutes later, courtesy of a counter-attack led by Vinicius Jr, whose assist was converted by Rodrygo.
The victory keeps Real second in the standings on 39 points, four adrift of Barcelona, while Alaves are 12th on 18 points.
The narrow triumph in the Basque Country provided manager Xabi Alonso with much-needed breathing space after a run of two wins from their previous eight matches across all competitions.
Sunday’s victory demonstrated Real’s resilience and ongoing weaknesses. Despite taking a 24th-minute lead through Mbappe’s spectacular strike, they found themselves outplayed by an Alaves side roared on by a sold-out Mendizorrotza stadium.
Mbappe had opened the scoring in trademark fashion after Jude Bellingham threaded a long pass to the French forward, who ran down the left channel before cutting inside and unleashing a bullet strike into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Despite Real’s early lead, Alaves grew dominant as the first half progressed. The hosts pressured Real’s makeshift defense, which featured 19-year-old academy graduate Victor Valdepenas in his senior debut at left back.
Alaves’ pressure was eventually rewarded in the 68th minute when substitute Vicente, introduced moments earlier, latched onto Antonio Blanco’s long ball and surged past Real’s high defensive line to finish into the top corner.
Initially flagged offside, Vicente’s goal was awarded after a VAR review confirmed the forward had timed his run perfectly.
Real’s winner came as Vinicius wrestled past a defender on the left flank before driving into the penalty area and delivering a low cross, finding Rodrygo, who slid in to steer the ball home from close range.
“It was a tough, very competitive match,” Alonso told a press conference.
“We started well and took the lead, but then we lost control and, as a result, we didn’t finish well. We had chances in the second half, but we conceded from the only mistake Valdepenas made and Carlos Vicente took advantage of that, after a great pass.
“But the team continued to fight hard, battling it out in a difficult stadium against a very intense opponent. That second goal gave us the three points and we’re leaving here very happy.”
