Borussia Dortmund is also convinced that it is apparently prepared for the league summit on Saturday against FC Bayern (6.30 p.m., in the sports ticker of the WELT). With a 3-0 (3-0) win at Club Brugge, the Bundesliga runner-up returned to the road of success in the Champions League and made a big step towards the round of 16. In contrast to the false start in the premier class two weeks earlier at Lazio (1: 3), BVB offered a courageous performance and took over in Group F thanks to goals from Thorgan Hazard (14th) and Erling Haaland (18/32) the standings.
Before the start of the second half of the preliminary round, the Revierklub can hope for a place in the knockout round with two home games still outstanding and with six points. The Dortmund team won the second group game 2-0 against Zenit St. Petersburg.
Even without defense chief Mats Hummels, who sustained a thigh injury in his team’s 2-0 win in Bielefeld last Saturday and was replaced by midfielder Axel Witsel, BVB wanted to set an example after four consecutive away defeats in Europe. That succeeded. The BVB defensive was also with emergency solution Witsel, in Bruges there was the fourth competitive game in a row without conceding a goal, in six of the last seven competitive games the score was zero (only not at 1: 3 at Lazio). But the start was not very promising. It was only with luck that Dortmund escaped an early deficit when Hazard blocked a shot by Noa Lang (5th) in dire need.
Hazard paved the way to victory
In contrast to the Belgians, however, BVB took their first chance: After a cross from Thomas Delaney, the Belgian international Hazard was there and put his team in the lead with a placed shot from ten meters.
The early hit spurred Borussia. With consistent offensive play, she put the opponent under further pressure and was rewarded again just four minutes later. After a failed header attempt, Haaland pushed the ball over the line from close range and scored his 13th goal in his 11th Champions League game.
Despite the capital failure, Bruges was not defeated, but missed the chance to shorten through Ruud Vormer (23rd). Instead, the Bundesliga runner-up again proved to be a master of effectiveness. A remarkable pass from Mahmoud Dahoud to Thomas Meunier initiated the 3-0. The clever pass of the Belgian full-back brought Haaland into the opposing goal without any effort.
Haaland scored his fourth brace in only the eleventh game in the Champions League. After the break, BVB seemed to switch a little into gentle mode with a view to the duel with their arch rivals from Munich. “We enjoy it, we have no thoughts about the next game against Bayern,” said coach Favre: “We immediately showed that we wanted to win. The first half was good. “
Bruges came on one or the other occasion after an hour. Emmanuel Dennis failed from a tight angle to Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Bürki (56th), a little later Giovanni Reyna saved after a header from Odilon Kossouno for the already overcome Bürki (57th). Eduard Sobol moved clearly (59th).
BVB no longer invested too much energy and effort. In the 72nd minute, captain Marco Reus came on for Julian Brandt, four minutes later the Borussia had a small chance to score. Haaland prevailed on the left attacking side, but Hazard missed his cross. The Dortmund team defended the lead calmly and unspectacularly – and after four straight wins against FC Schalke (3: 0), St. Petersburg (2: 0), Bielefeld (2: 0) and Bruges new courage in the league duel with Bayern on Saturday.
Dortmund’s licensed player director Sebastian Kehl said: “You can praise a lot of our players after this game. That gives us a good feeling for Saturday. Bayern will have respect. ”He was asked whether defense chief Hummels could be part of the game again. “Mats has good healing meat,” replied Kehl – and grinned.
Leipzig puts exclamation mark against Paris St. Germain
At the same time, RB Leipzig won the first part of Julian Nagelsmann’s knockout duel with Paris St. Germain and again the best prospects for advancement in the Champions League. 78 days after the lost semifinals, the Saxons retaliated on Wednesday with a 2-1 (1-1) against the French champions. With six points, Leipzig are in second place at halftime of the group stage behind Manchester United, who are tied for points and surprisingly lost 2-1 at Istanbul Basaksehir.
“Paris had few chances that they created themselves, but it was our faults. We bring the opponent into play. We are a bit lucky with the penalty, but after that we made up well and deserved to win, ”said Nagelsmann.
Angel Di Maria (6th minute) shocked RB early with the deficit. The Argentine international, already the outstanding man in the semi-finals in August, benefited from a capital mistake by Dayot Upamecano. Of all people, Christopher Nkunku (42nd), who comes from the PSG youth team, equalized before the break. “That was of course a special hit. But more important was that it was my first in the Champions League, ”said Nkunku.
Emil Forsberg (57th) finally converted a hand penalty and ensured Julian Nagelsmann’s first victory against his teacher Thomas Tuchel. PSG had to end the game after the yellow-red card against Idrissa Gueye (69th) in the minority.
Leipzig’s players celebrate Emil Forsberg’s penalty goal to make it 2-1
What: REUTERS
Nagelsmann reacted surprisingly to the injury-related loss of the Parisian superstars Kylian Mbappé and Neymar – he initially did without a striker himself in the starting eleven and offered Forsberg as a hanging tip. The alarm was initially on the other side anyway when Di Maria overcame RB keeper Peter Gulacsi with his outer instep.
Nkunku from 18 meters with an equalizer
In direct return, Amadou Haidara and Angeliño (8th) had a huge double chance to equalize, but both attempts were blocked shortly before the line. At the end of a turbulent early phase, Di Maria could have become a hero. But the offensive star (16th) failed with a hand penalty caused by Upamecano to Gulacsi. “That was a key scene. With the 0-2 the game would have been different, ”said Nagelsmann.
Paris was more willing, safer and always felt a step faster than RB. Nagelsmann’s offensive concept did not work at all in the last two goalless Leipzigers. Again, the Saxons were lucky when the goal by Moise Kean (39th) was not given due to offside. Then RB had a little more access, and Nkunku used Angeliño’s back pass with a shot from 18 meters to equalize.
Leipzig was back in the game and Nagelsmann did without changes or tactical changes during the break. Forsberg’s shot (53rd) went just over the goal, under pressure from the Swede Presnel Kimpembe played the ball with his hand three minutes later in his own penalty area. After the video evidence, the Polish referee Szymon Marciniak gave a penalty, which Forsberg safely converted.
Paris had lost control of the game – and so did Gueye a good 20 minutes before the end. The midfielder fouled Haidara on the center line completely unnecessarily and saw his second yellow card. After that, the guests found it difficult to build up pressure and create compelling scoring opportunities. In stoppage time they also lost Presnel Kimpembe, who also saw yellow-red after fouling Poulsen.
“We played a good first half and could have led 2-0, but it was 1-1. The red card was a key moment. There were a few situations against us and a few mistakes that prevented a better result. But we still have every chance to win the direct duel with Leipzig, ”said Paris coach Thomas Tuchel. Nevertheless, it will be even more uncomfortable for the coach, who is in criticism and who quarreled with PSG sports director Leonardo, after this defeat. His contract expires at the end of the season. “If it shouldn’t be extended, that’s fine too,” he said after the game.
Corona – bad news from Havertz
Basaksehir Istanbul had previously celebrated his maiden win and duped Manchester United. The Turkish champions won against the favorite Premier League club 2-1 (2-1). The former Hoffenheim Bundesliga player Demba Ba scored the first Champions League goal for the hosts to make it 1-0 in the 13th minute. Edin Visca (40th) increased to 2-0 before Anthony Martial (43rd) scored for Manchester. Previously, the Istanbul team lost 2-0 in Group H against RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain.
In Borussia Dortmund’s group F, Lazio prevented a defeat in the closing stages. Thanks to a goal by Felipe Caicedo in the 82nd minute, the Italians made it 1-1 (0-1) at Zenit St. Petersburg. Alexander Jerochin had brought the Russian hosts 1-0 (32nd) into the lead. Despite the corona pandemic, the game took place in front of more than 15,000 spectators.
Without losing points, FC Barcelona remain at the top of the table in Group G. The Catalans defeated Dynamo Kiev 2-1 (1-0) with goals from Lionel Messi with a penalty kick (5th) and Gerard Piqué (65th). Chasing Juventus Turin came with two goals from Alvaro Morata (7th, 60th), one by Paulo Dybala (72nd,) and an own goal by Lasha Dvali (82nd) to a 4-1 (1-0) win Ferencvaros Budapest.
Meanwhile it became known that national player Kai Havertz from Chelsea FC is infected with the corona virus. This was announced by coach Frank Lampard on Wednesday just before the game against Stade Rennes (3-0, half-time 2-0). Havertz had tested positive, the association wrote on Twitter. As a consequence, the player went into self-isolation. The club did not explain whether the 21-year-old showed symptoms of infection with the Sars-CoV-2 virus. Havertz was therefore not part of the squad for the game against the French club, unlike national striker Timo Werner (scored twice with a penalty).
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