Thorgan Hazard helps Borussia Dortmund draw UEFA Champions League group finale with Copenhagen
Borussia Dortmund's final UEFA Champions League group stage encounter against Copenhagen ended honours even after Thorgan Hazard's strike for the Round of 16-bound visitors was cancelled out by Hakon Arnar Haraldsson.
With the Black-and-Yellows guaranteed second place in Group G no matter the outcome at the Parken Stadium, there were those who put it to visiting coach Edin Terzic that there was nothing to play for in the section's final fixture. "We want to maintain our rhythm, stick with the things that have worked well and improve the things that aren't quite as good as we'd like," the coach responded ahead of kick-off. His players responded with the game's opening goal. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel may have been BVB's busiest player up until the moment Hazard broke the deadlock after accepting Felix Passlack's centre, but that only helped to sweeten the visiting celebrations. Having failed to score in the entire group stage up until this encounter, the hosts were long overdue their own moment of joy. Haraldsson provided it when the 19-year-old prodded home Viktor Claesson's cut-back.
Jacob Neestrup's team were hoping for a first win against Bundesliga opposition in UEFA competition after 11 failed attempts and after surviving Karim Adeyemi's deflected attempt, Viktor Claesson and Lukas Lerager tried without success to edge the home side in front. Terzic sent Julian Brandt and Youssoufa Moukoko into the mix thereafter and the pair quickly combined, with the latter striking the foot of a post with a tidy effort from distance. Adeyemi then headed narrowly past the far post from a corner as Dortmund stepped up the pace. A late Copenhagen flurry failing to produce a winner, Die Schwarzgelben held on to secure a share of the spoils ahead of Monday's draw for the tournament's last 16, which will include Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Match stats
Hazard scored his first goal this season on his 18th appearance. It was also his first BVB goal since February.
Soumalia Coulibaly, 19, made his senior Dortmund debut.
Copenhagen had previously failed to score in four Champions League home games.
Dortmund are unbeaten against Danish teams. They had one win and a draw against Brondby in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup in the only other encounters before this season.
BVB ended the group on nine points (W2, D3, L1).
Copenhagen have never beaten Bundesliga opposition in UEFA competition in 12 attempts.
Champions League Matchday 6 Matchday 6 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen
90'
+ 4
FULL-TIME! COPENHAGEN 1-1 DORTMUND
Not Dortmund's best display by a long shot, but they got a result and were already through. Bigger tests to come, that's for sure. A full-strength BVB will be a completely different proposition for whomever they draw in the round of 16.
Full-time
90'
+ 3
MALEN!
Dortmund with a late counter. Malen drifts inside, but shoots wide. That should be that!
90'
TIME ADDED ON
Four to go in Copenhagen. Can BVB land a late sucker punch?
89'
STILL PUSHING
Copenhagen with a flurry of late chances, but not one sticks. They've wanted it more tonight. How different it might have been, had natural-born leader Bellingham been on the pitch for Dortmund.
89'
GROUP G
As things stand, Dortmund are going to finish the group stage on nine points. Group G winners Man City - the only team to have beaten BVB in the section - have five more.
Modeste with his first attempt on goal from 18 yards, but it's off target. It's just not been the French striker's day...
72'
COULIBALY DEBUT
Soumaïla Coulibaly makes his Dortmund debut. The 19-year-old central defender, who has made seven appearances for the reserves so far this season, replaces goalscorer Hazard. Expect BVB to switch to a back three...
The Dortmund forward heads a Hazard corner just wide. BVB's best spell by a mile...
64'
WOODWORK!
Claesson tests Meyer, before Dortmund go up the other end and very nearly retake the lead. The subs combine as Brandt feeds Moukoko, who arrows an effort against the upright from the edge of the area.
Daramy picks off Schlotterbeck's errant pass and finds Claesson, who fires wide. Moments later, Lerager shoots over from 18 yards. BVB napping on the job...
Here comes Adeyemi again with a surging run and cross. Modeste is poised to steer it home, but Malen dashes in ahead of him and fires wide. That would almost certainly have been a goal for Modeste...
51'
ADE-NEARLY!
The commentator's curse strikes as Adeyemi tries his luck from range. It takes a deflection off Lund, and drops just the wrong side of the post.
50'
WIDE!
Bardghji blazes wide from 20 yards, after Adeyemi had conceded possession. The young Germany international has been quiet tonight, and could be a candidate to make way.
47'
REYNA DRAWS THE FOUL
Clear booking for Copenhagen defender Vavro, who couldn't live with the rampaging Reyna. We haven't see enough of that in this game from BVB's young American.
With a derby against Bochum in the Bundesliga on Saturday, Terzic shuffles his back. Süle replaces Hummels, while Meyer is on for Kobel - arguably BVB's best player in the first half. The Black-Yellows are through, though, so changes are to be expected.
Hazard gave Dortmund the lead against the run of play, before Copenhagen broke Kobel's resistance. Work to be done for BVB, who have the likes of Bellingham, Brandt and Moukoko to call on from the bench.
Half-time
45'
+ 2
CAUTION
Modeste sums up a frustrating half for player and team alike with a booking for a foul on Diks.
Into the first of two added minutes as Claesson makes Kobel work for the umpteenth time. The half-time whistle can't come soon enough for BVB - which is not something we've said often of late.
41'
ALL SQUARE!
Reyna misplaces a pass that's picked off by Claesson. He pulls clear and cuts a precise ball back to Haraldsson, who sinks a seven-yard finish with aplomb. No chance for Kobel. That's the Danes' first goal in this season's Champions League!
Terzic may already be thinking about introducing Bellingham in the second half. BVB need to assert themselves on the contest, and fast.
32'
RINSE AND REPEAT
The Copenhagen players will be having nightmares about Kobel at this rate. He's just kept out a Lerager header. But for him, BVB would be behind.
28'
KOBEL AGAIN
Claesson reacts first in the BVB box, but Kobel makes himself really big at his near post to make the block. He's been superb in recent weeks.
28'
DROUGHT OVER
That's Hazard's first goal this season, on his 18th appearance, and first for BVB since February.
23'
HAZARD STRIKES FIRST
Ice-cold from Dortmund, who have been second best. Passlack's right-wing cross finds Hazard in the penalty area. He's under pressure, but squeezes a shot through the ruck of bodies and into the back of the net.
Reyna does well to find Malen in the box, but the Dutchman's first touch isn't the best and his eventual shot from a tight angle is wayward.
12'
SAFE HANDS
Haraldsson from the edge of the area this time, but it's more of a routine diving save for Kobel. Copenhagen are up for this!
9'
SUPER KOBEL!
Heroics from Dortmund's No.1 after BVB are undone on the counter. Bardghji connects well with Daramy's cross, but Kobel dives full stretch to make the save.
3'
BVB KNOCKING
Dortmund win an early corner that comes to nothing, but that's a positive start.
Kick-off!
BIG-GAME OMENS
Copenhagen have drawn their last four home Champions League matches 0-0 while Dortmund have won their last four Matchday 6 games on the bounce. Something's gotta give tonight!
TERZIC SPEAKS
Here's BVB coach Edin Terzic's take on tonight's encounter: "We still have something to play for. We want to maintain our rhythm, stick with the things that have worked well and improve the things that aren't quite as good as we'd like."
"We want to maintain our rhythm, stick with the things that have worked well and improve the things that aren't quite as good as we'd like," said Terzic at his pre-match press conference. He's kept rotation to a minimum, with Bellingham among the handful of first-team regulars to drop to the bench. Gio Reyna and Anthony Modeste come in.
DORTMUND'S END GOAL
BVB have, of course, done the hard work in the group and are through to the Round of 16 in second spot behind Manchester City no matter the outcome in Denmark tonight. That said, Edin Terzic's men know that victories breed confidence and the Black-and-Yellows will be gunning for maximum spoils against a Copenhagen side who have yet to register a goal in Group G.
WELCOME ONE AND ALL
Welcome along to this evening's coverage of Borussia Dortmund's final Champions League Group G game against Copenhagen from the Parken Stadium.
