Borussia Dortmund reach UEFA Champions League round of 16 with Man City draw
Gregor Kobel saved a penalty as Borussia Dortmund reached the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League round of 16, after drawing their penultimate group game with Manchester City on Erling Haaland’s return to the Signal Iduna Park.
Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Manchester City
Needing only a point from their final two fixtures in Group G to qualify for the knockouts, Dortmund acquitted themselves as if it was win or bust. The Black-Yellows were superior in all areas throughout the first half, and arguably should have been at least a goal up at the halfway stage. Julian Brandt sent a free-kick into the stanchion, before former Arminia Bielefeld goalkeeper Stefan Ortega denied Karim Adeyemi’s low strike from a tight angle. BVB continued to ask all the questions as Gio Reyna tested Ortega from 18 yards. Youssoufa Moukoko spurned the clearest opening soon after, when when he side-footed Adeyemi’s low cross wide with the goal at his mercy. The 17-year-old then shot too close to Ortega on his weaker right foot, having been played into the box by Adeyemi.
With the expertly marshalled Haaland withdrawn at the break, City survived another scare when Nathan Ake misjudged a searching Reyna cross, only to put in a strong recovery challenge on Adeyemi at the back post. Dortmund were caught out defensively for the first time approaching the hour as Riyad Mahrez won a penalty for a foul against Emre Can, but Kobel guessed right to beat the Algerian’s spot-kick away. Kobel was at it again soon after with quick-fire diving saves to thwart ex-Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gündogan and Julian Alvarez. Group leaders City enjoyed long spells of possession in the closing stages, but could not find a way through midfield general Jude Bellingham and the well-drilled banks of black and yellow.
Match stats
Dortmund have nine points from five Group G games, and cannot be caught by Sevilla.
BVB have lost just two of their previous 15 Champions League matches on home soil (W8, D5, L2).
Bellingham has five goals in 21 Champions League appearances - more than any English teenager in competition history.
The Black-Yellows are so far the only team to have scored against Man City in Europe this term.
Haaland scored 62 goals in 67 Bundesliga games for BVB, and 86 from 89 in all competitions. His return in the Champions League was 15 in 13 games.
Manuel Akanji and Kevin De Bruyne also played in the Bundesliga, the former making 119 appearances for BVB.
Champions League Matchday 5 Matchday 5 Signal Iduna Park
90'
+ 3
DORTMUND PROGRESS!
With room to spare. Superb team effort from BVB, helped by that Kobel penalty save. They're through to the last 16!
Full-time
90'
ADDED TIME
Three minutes...
86'
PAPA WHO?
The former Dortmund reserve player makes his Champions League debut, and fifth senior appearance for BVB. Reyna makes way after another encouraging display, after all his injury problems.
Dortmund are indebted to their goalkeeper once again as he gets down well to block Gündogan's shot. Moments later, he throws himself to his right to beat clear an effort from Alcarez. Testing times for Terzic's men...
61'
DORTMUND UNDER PRESSURE
This happened in the first game in Manchester. City are starting to assert themselves...
57'
WHAT A SAVE!
Kobel's a big fella, but that's a great stop. The BVB No.1 dives to his right to get two firm hands on Mahrez's spot-kick.
57'
PENALTY!
Dortmund on the back foot for the first time as Can trips Mahrez in the box. Clear penalty...
52'
NEARLY!
Reyna's searching cross from the left loops over Ake at the back post, but the City defender recovers well to prevent Adeyemi getting a shot off.
48'
SHOOOOOOOT!
Hazard thinks about hitting a bouncing ball goalwards, but opts for the pass. It's got too much on it for Brandt, though, and goes straight through to Ortega.
46'
SECOND HALF
That's it from Haaland. He's replaced by Bernardo Silva, after being kept quiet by Hummels in the first half. Another familiar face is on, with Manuel Akanji - who made 119 appearances for BVB - replacing Cancelo.
... but Dortmund could so easily be two or three goals to the good. They're going through to the last 16, as things stand...
Half-time
45'
TIME ADDED ON
Sixty additional seconds at the end of the first half...
42'
MOUKOKO AGAIN!
Adeyemi squeezes a pass through to the 17-year-old. He has the pace to get away from Dias in the box, but it's on his right foot and is a relatively easy shot for Ortega to save. If only that was on his left...
39'
WORTH A GO!
Dortmund come again, but Can's shot from distance takes a deflection and doesn't trouble Ortega. Terzic spoke of his team making more of their chances - how long before they make one count?
36'
MOUKO-NO!
Hummels spreads the play to Süle, who exchanges passes with Bellingham and releases Adeyemi into the channel. He tears away and crosses low for Moukoko, who side-foots wide from a central position on the edge of the six-yard box. What a chance!
31'
CAUTION
A second City booking, this time for a foul on Hazard. Dortmund have completely stopped City from finding their rhythm.
Can slides in to stop Haaland in his tracks, but brings his ex-teammate down in the process. Roars of approval ring out as Hummels heads Gündogan's attempted free-kick to safety.
24'
REYNA!
Lovely football from Dortmund as Bellingham and Adeyemi combine on the right-hand side. Reyna receives the ball on the edge of the area, but his shot is too close to Ortega. The American scored from a similar position at the weekend.
18'
SUPER HUMMELS
Brilliant from the Dortmund veteran. He slides in to prevent Haaland going on-one-one, and then dives to head Mahrez's cross for his former teammate behind. Everyone in black and yellow loved that!
16'
CHANCE!
Adeyemi drives into the City box, but his shot is well blocked by the advancing Ortega, who gets a leg to it. BVB are really up for this!
12'
STRONG START
Dortmund have made an assured start. They're moving the ball well in possession, and closing the gaps off the ball. City can't get going.
7'
CLOSE!
Cancelo loses possession to Adeyemi, and proceeds to foul the Dortmund youngster on the edge of the area. Brandt sends the ensuing free-kick over the wall, but into the stanchion.
Dortmund are pressing high and hard as City try to play out from the back. Luckily for the visitors, Ortega has quick feet, honed in the Bundesliga, to divert a potentially sticky situation.
3'
ROAR!
The decibel levels go up a notch as Can plays Brandt in through the middle. He finds Reyna to his left and continues his run, but Stones intervenes as he goes to shoot from inside the area.
1'
WARNING SHOT
Bright start from BVB as Moukoko has a pop from an offside position. The stadium's bouncing.
Kick-off!
ERLING LOVE
There were plenty of hugs in the tunnel for Haaland. At the end of the day, he was a fabulous scorer for BVB - even if they club would have liked him to stick around a while longer.
1:47
WATCH: HAALAND'S BEST ACROBATIC GOALS
Remember that sideways scissor-kick against Schalke? Well that was just one of a number of acrobatic efforts we saw Haaland smash home in the Bundesliga.
MR. CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Bellingham has scored in all four of Dortmund's Champions League fixtures so far this season. The 19-year-old now has five goals in 20 appearances in the competition - more than any English teenager in history.
Haaland scored 62 goals in 67 Bundesliga appearances across a wrecking-ball stint with Dortmund. Relive them all right here.
MORE ON THOSE TEAMS
Reyna keeps his place in the Dortmund starting line-up, after scoring in the 5-0 win over Stuttgart. With Raphael Guerreiro injured and Salih Özcan suspended, there are also starts for Thorgan Hazard and Emre Can. Marco Reus misses out, though. As for City, Haaland leads the line on his former stomping ground. Ex-Bielefeld goalkeeper Stefan Ortega and former BVB midfielder Ilkay Gündogan start. Kevin De Bruyne (Werder Bremen & Wolfsburg) and Manuel Akanji (Dortmund) are among the visiting substitutes.
TERZIC - WE NEED TO BE READY
"We've already decided the head-to-head with Sevilla in our favour. Next week, we'll take care of Copenhagen. [The next] task is Manchester City," stated BVB head coach Edin Terzic prior to the game. "We produced a good performance up to a certain point [in Manchester]. It wasn't enough because we only defended the goal properly up until the 80th minute. We need to be ready to produce a performance like that again, to top it and then to see it through to the end. We need to finish off our chances more consistently, even when our legs start to tire. That's our intention."
STORY SO FAR
Dortmund have only lost once in Group G - a late 2-1 defeat in Manchester after Jude Bellingham had opened the scoring. They beat Copenhagen and Sevilla either side of that, before drawing with the Spaniards on Matchday 4.
KNOCKOUTS BECKON!
Borussia Dortmund have their UEFA Champions League fate in their own hands. Five points clear of third-placed Sevilla with two games to go, BVB will be through to the round of 16 if they beat Group G leaders Man City, draw and Copenhagen do not win, or Sevilla and Copenhagen draw.
