The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Dortmund prove to be a Real challenge
German club come from behind to hold Spanish giants and top Group F; second-string Leicester face heavy defeat
BORUSSIA DORTMUND set a new Champions League scoring record in a 2-2 draw against Real Madrid while FC Porto and Sevilla claimed the two remaining last-16 spots.
Dortmund made sure of top spot in Group F after fighting back from 2-0 down against defending champions Madrid, leaving the Spanish giants with theoretically a tougher draw to make the quarter-finals.
Marco Reus was the star of the late show at the Santiago Bernabeu, hitting the equaliser two minutes from time. A double from Karim Benzema looked to have Real well set to leapfrog the Germans and secure a home game in the second leg of their last-16 tie.
However, Pierre-emerick Aubameyang reduced the arrears before substitute Reus slid in to turn Aubameyang's dangerous low cross high into the net. Dortmund scored 21 goals in their group campaign, the most for any team in a group stage in the history of the tournament. “Real had some big chances in the second half, but we hoped for a lucky punch and we got it," said Reus.
"'Auba' was world-class with his pass and I was happy to get on the end of it – the goal was 99 percent him and one from me."
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane criticised his players for switching off against Borussia Dortmund and throwing away a two-goal lead that cost the European champions top place in Champions League Group F on Wednesday.
"When you see how the second half went you get a bit angry. We had the game in our hands but this is football. You need to carry on right until the end," Zidane told a news conference. "We created a lot of chances to score the third goal. Instead, we allowed Dortmund back into the game. Dortmund deserved first place. They demonstrated how strong they are." The coach praised Benzema for becoming the sixth player to score 50 Champions League 50 goals and paid tribute to his players for matching Leo Beenhakker's side's run of 34 games without defeat in 198990. Sevilla made the last 16 for the first time in seven years after soaking up the pressure to draw 0-0 away to Lyon. Lyon – who lost 1-0 in Seville in September and trailed the Spaniards by three points – needed to win by two clear goals to go through at Sevilla's expense from Group H.
But they could not find a way through, with Corentin Tolisso and Mathieu Valbuena both hitting the woodwork in the first half. Table-topping Juventus defeated Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 with Gonzalo Higuain and Daniele Rugani on target. The Croatians finished their campaign having failed to score a single goal, only the third team to achieve such a dubious distinction.
Foxes get hunted
Leicester City, who had already made sure of top spot in Group G in their debut season in the competition, suffered their first loss of the campaign, 5-0 at Porto who went through as runners-up.
Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri, with one eye on his side's faltering defence of their Premier League title, made 10 changes from the team defeated at Sunderland last weekend. Porto, the 1987 and 2004 European champions, opened the scoring after just six minutes when Andre Silva headed in a corner from Jesus Corona.
Corona hit a spectacular second goal with a left-footed volley from a cross by Yacine Brahimi after being left unmarked in the area. Brahimi made it 3-0 with a cheeky backheel before the interval.
Silva added a fourth from the penalty spot on 64 minutes after Danny Drinkwater had hauled down the striker in the penalty area with Diogo Jota making it 5-0, the biggest Champions League defeat for an English club. FC Copenhagen had harboured hopes of pipping Porto for second place but despite a 2-0 win at pointless Club Brugge, they still had to settle for a Europa League place.
In Group E, Bayer Leverkusen, already assured of second spot, downed Monaco 30. Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, came back from a goal down to defeat CSKA Moscow 3-1 and claim a Europa League place. Alan Dzagoev put the Russians ahead after 33 minutes, but the lead lasted just five minutes until Dele Alli levelled from a Christian Eriksen cross to ensure that CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev's miserable Champions League record of failing to keep a clean sheet stretched to 39 games.
Harry Kane and an Akinfeev own-goal gave Spurs the three points.