Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
Borussia Dortmund sailed into the last 16 of the Champions League after a comfortable 0-0 draw with Sporting in the second leg of their knockout phase playoff this morning, giving last year’s runners-up a 3-0 aggregate win.
Dortmund will face Aston Villa or Lille in the last 16, depending on Friday’s draw.
Despite being 3-0 down from the first leg, Sporting showed little urgency early on, looking happy to sit back and wait for an opportunity to counter.
Sporting left their top scorer Viktor Gyokeres at home as a precaution. The striker, with 34 goals in 36 games this season, has struggled with a thigh injury but played at the weekend, and his absence was a sign of their resignation.
The first chance fell to the hosts when Marcel Sabitzer tried his luck from distance and the shot curled wide of the far post.
Sabitzer, seeking his first goal of the season, had another strike from outside the area but Sporting keeper Rui Silva parried the ball away for a corner.
Dortmund were awarded a penalty 13 minutes after the interval when Silva took down Karim Adeyemi but the keeper made amends by saving Serhou Guirassy’s spot kick to deny the Champions League’s top scorer this season his 11th goal of the competition.
