LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Bayer Leverkusen endured late pressure but earned a 0-0 draw with visitors Olympiacos Piraeus on Tuesday to book their Champions League last-16 spot with a 2-0 aggregate win in their knockout playoff.
Leverkusen, who had won last week’s first leg in Greece 2-0 thanks to Patrik Schick’s double, will now face either German rivals Bayern Munich or Arsenal in the round of 16 next month. The draw will take place on Friday.
The visitors were disciplined and gradually increased the pressure to go close twice early in the second half, with Leverkusen keeper Janis Blaswich palming a Gelson Martins shot wide at full stretch.
The hosts responded with a chance of their own when Alex Grimaldo rattled the crossbar with a close-range effort in the 62nd minute but Olympiacos kept them firmly on the back foot.
The Greeks had several late chances, including when Lorenzo Scipioni flashed another shot narrowly wide, but Leverkusen held on for the draw.
Leverkusen reach Champions League last 16 with 0-0 draw against Olympiacos
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Leverkusen reach Champions League last 16 with 0-0 draw against Olympiacos
Last-gasp penalty sends Atalanta past Dortmund and into last 16
- Dortmund’s Bensebaini was sent off after his studs caught the head of Atalanta’s Krstovic in the penalty area
- The hosts had to fight back following last week’s 2-0 loss in Germany
BERGAMO, Italy: Lazar Samardzic slotted home a stoppage-time penalty to complete a dramatic 4-1 victory for Atalanta over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, sending the Italian side into the Champions League’s last 16 with a comeback 4-3 aggregate triumph.
Dortmund’s Ramy Bensebaini was sent off after his studs caught the head of Atalanta’s Nikola Krstovic in the penalty area and Samardzic converted the spot kick in the 98th minute to send the Italians through. Atalanta will now face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the round of 16 with the draw on Friday.
The hosts had to fight back following last week’s 2-0 loss in Germany, and Gianluca Scamacca tapped in at the far post to give them a fifth-minute lead as they got off to a dream start.
Dortmund had their share of chances but it was their keeper, Gregor Kobel, who was busiest in the first half, twice denying Nicola Zalewski. He was beaten, however, on the stroke of halftime when Davide Zappacosta’s shot was deflected into the net off Bensebaini to make it 2-0.
Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi made the save of the match when he tipped Serhou Guirassy’s low drive wide in the 49th minute, to protect their two-goal advantage. Dortmund went even closer in the 53rd with Maximilian Beier’s shot bouncing off the post.
Instead it was the hosts who scored again thanks to Mario Pasalic’s header at the far post to go 3-0 up and take control of the tie.
Dortmund, however, bounced back with substitute Karim Adeyemi adding instant pace to their game and curling his 75th-minute shot into the top corner as the visitors hoped to take the contest into extra-time.
Yet Bensebaini then tried to clear a cross in the box with a backheel but caught the head of Krstovic, who went down bleeding. The hosts were awarded a penalty following a lengthy VAR review and Samardzic beat Kobel to send his team through with the last kick of the game.
