Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Sporting Lisbon (3-0 agg): Dortmund secures Champions League last 16 spot after stalemate with Sporting
Borussia Dortmund comfortably advanced to the Champions League last 16 following a goalless draw against Sporting on Wednesday, sealing a 3-0 aggregate victory. Last season’s runners-up now await their next opponent, which will be either Aston Villa or Lille, depending on Friday’s draw.
Sporting, needing a major comeback after a heavy first-leg defeat, showed little urgency in the opening stages. Their approach was largely defensive, with few attacking threats. Notably, top scorer Viktor Gyökeres was left out of the squad as a precaution due to a lingering thigh injury, despite playing over the weekend. His absence signaled the Portuguese side’s uphill battle.
Dortmund controlled the tempo early on, with Marcel Sabitzer attempting an ambitious long-range effort that curled wide. The Austrian midfielder, still searching for his first goal of the season, tested Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva again from distance, but Silva managed to turn the shot away for a corner.
After halftime, Dortmund was awarded a penalty when Silva brought down Karim Adeyemi inside the box. However, the keeper redeemed himself by denying Serhou Guirassy from the spot, preventing the competition’s top scorer from netting his 11th goal of the campaign.
The German side continued to push forward, with substitute Giovanni Reyna striking the post when through on goal. Emre Can thought he had finally broken the deadlock with a header, but his effort was ruled out for offside. Despite missed chances, Dortmund secured progression in Europe, even as they struggle domestically with two consecutive league defeats under new manager Niko Kovač.
"I think it was not a great game by both teams. We dominated the game for over 90 minutes," Kovač said. "We didn't concede anything, even in the first half we only had a few shots. In the second half, we were much more dangerous. We should have won the game."
Meanwhile, Sporting’s European campaign ended in disappointment, marking a sharp decline since Ruben Amorim departed for Manchester United in November. Under his leadership, Sporting won three of their four league-phase matches and sat in second place. Since his exit, they have failed to win in Europe, losing five of their last six matches.
With their Champions League journey over, Sporting now turns its focus to domestic competition. "Clearly, that is the ultimate goal. We want to be two-time champions, and that's what we're going to fight for until the end," manager Rui Borges told Sport TV.
SportsLigue