Borussia Dortmund Secure Champions League Last 16 Spot After Sporting Stalemate

Dortmund, 20 Feb: Borussia Dortmund confirmed their place in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 after a goalless draw against Sporting CP in the second leg of their knockout play-off tie.

With a commanding 3-0 victory in the first leg in Lisbon, Dortmund entered the return fixture at home with a strong advantage. Goals from Serhou Guirassy, Pascal Gross, and Karim Adeyemi in the previous encounter had effectively sealed their progression, leaving Sporting with a tough task at hand.

Dortmund dominated possession and created several goal-scoring opportunities, including a golden chance in the second half when they were awarded a penalty following Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva’s challenge on Adeyemi. However, Silva redeemed himself by saving Guirassy’s spot-kick, keeping the visitors in the contest.

Despite Sporting making several changes to their lineup—including the notable absence of top scorer Viktor Gyökeres and winger Francisco Trincão—they struggled to create meaningful chances. Dortmund, on the other hand, fielded an unchanged starting XI and controlled the tempo for most of the match.

The game’s first real shot on target came in the 27th minute when Dortmund midfielder Marcel Sabitzer fired a powerful effort from outside the box, which was parried away by Silva. Guirassy and Adeyemi also tested the Sporting keeper, but he stood firm to deny them.

After the restart, Daniel Svensson forced a brilliant save from Silva, while substitute Giovanni Reyna hit the post in a near miss for Dortmund. The home side thought they had finally broken the deadlock when Emre Can headed the ball into the net from close range, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

With this result, Dortmund progress to the next round, where they will face either Aston Villa or Lille in the two-legged last-16 tie next month. Meanwhile, Sporting’s European campaign comes to an end after a disappointing display in the return leg.

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