As expected, Borussia Dortmund has reached the round of 16 in the Champions League. However, BVB did not manage to compensate for the latest disappointments in the 0-0 against Sporting Lisbon.
This was due to the starting situation, the opponent and a shot penalty from Serhou Guirassy. “We did not do more than necessary. It was a controlled progress, I would say. Nevertheless, we have to learn to win such games”said captain Emre Can at “DAZN”.
And coach Niko Kovac summed up: “We achieved what we wanted, that stood above everything. But we should have won the game and it must be our claim to win such a game. I am satisfied with the defensive performance, we have not allowed anything.”
“It was a mandatory task after the first leg, but we are all happy that we are now in the round of 16”said goalkeeper Gregor Kobel at the Sportschau microphone: “Everything that interests me is that we are one round further. And that we played twice to zero and did a good job on the defensive is also important for the next games.”
Sports director Sebastian Kehl only accepted the result: “Two sovereign games played twice to zero. That gives a good feeling for this competition”he said at the sports show microphone:
Sporting protects some stars
Dortmund did not write football history on Wednesday evening (19.02.2025) – and that is again good news for BVB. First of all, a team in the history of the European Cup had missed the progress after an away win with three goals lead. And even though the Borussians are currently not going to Kovac at all after changing coaches, this danger was at no moment.
To a certain extent, Sporting had sent signs even before the kick -off that it does not have so many hopes to create the miracle in Dortmund. Trainer Rui Borges had two of his top players at home with Viktor Gyökeres and Trincao, even though they were fit – but they should apparently be more promising tasks.
Only Dortmund has some chances to show
The players who were bordered for Sporting were initially not necessarily accusing that they gave the impression that the game hearted – even if they did not go to the performance limit. For ten minutes, BVB had the ball run relatively leisurely, then the Portuguese significantly increased the activity. Dortmund had the first good chance with a shot from 20 meters from Marcel Sabitzer, which goalkeeper Rui Silva was able to parry (27th).
Shortly afterwards, first-leg goal scorer Pascal Groß was missing only centimeters to achieve the BVB leadership after a cross from Karim Adeyemi (31st). It was a phase in which the hosts showed for the first time that they also wanted to offer their fans something in the sold -out Westphalia Stadium. However, this only lasted briefly, until the half -time break, the game – apart from another attempt by Sabitzer (45.+1) – worked more like a training game.
A few spacer shots against the Uneventfulness
Borges then put the next glance and changed another top performer with Morten Hjulmand, and Kovac also took out one of the most important offensive players with Jamie Gitten to save strength for the Bundesliga game on Saturday evening against Union Berlin. And so it was only dangerous from the distance like after Adeyemis (50th) and Daniel Svenssons (52nd) shots, which Silva also defended (50th).
The game had no pace, no intensity, no team took a risk – it seemed as if both teams were just playing the time. Sporting did not want to, because it was already looking at the title fight in Portugal (leadership leader with a two -point lead), Dortmund did not have to go because the opponent’s appearance was already 99 percent safe.
Guirassy shoots from the point, Reyna from a few meters
The BVB also missed an opportunity to ensure a change in mood. At the Bundesliga defeat at VfL Bochum (0: 2) there was also trouble with their own fans – and against Lisbon the team ran little reparation. And a penalty did not change that.
Silva brought ADEYEMI down in the penalty area, but Guirassy did not use the opportunity to put his team in the lead and to improve his goal account in the Champions League to eleven hits. Silva made up for his mistake and even held the penalty of the BVB striker (59.). Ten minutes later the keeper was beaten for the first time, but Gio Reyna also hit the post from a short distance (69.).
Marc Eschweiler /Jan Wochner, Sportschau, 19.02.2025 9:01 pm
Successful experience would have been important for BVB
Until the end, the only very big possibilities remained on a Dortmund goal – although the Kovac team has been trying to do so in the last 25 minutes. The game ended 0-0, whereas Sporting in the second half never defended itself because it did not try to be successful itself. For the Portuguese, it was all about getting home as harmless as possible and now transferring the switch to everyday league life.
In Dortmund (currently eleventh in the Bundesliga), however, it looks significantly bristle, and it could have had a certain importance to give some hope with a (convincing) victory against Lisbon. This failed to do so, which was also due to the fact that the challenge was lacking in the failed resistance. Against Union Berlin, BVB will get them again. In the premier class we will continue in the round of 16 against Aston Villa or OSC Lille.