Immobile nets Lazio a win

ROME – Playing in the Champions League group phase for the first time in 13 years, Lazio looked like it couldn’t wait to return.

The Roman club scored two early goals in a convincing 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

European Golden Shoe winner Ciro Immobile netted the first against his former club, and Dortmund goalkeeper Marwin Hitz scored an own-goal when a shot was deflected in off his head.

Erling Haaland pulled one back for Dortmund in the 71st but Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro restored Lazio’s two-goal advantage five minutes later.

“It was an incredible feeling – after so many years to take this club back into the Champions League,” Immobile said. “There was that extra special flavor. We played a perfect game and are enormously satisfied with the performance.”

It was Immobile’s fifth career goal in the Champions League – with his previous four having come while playing for Dortmund in 2014-15.

LONDON – For the first time since its $300 million spending spree, Chelsea finally got its six major summer signings on the field together.

They couldn’t find a way past Sevilla in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Sevilla kept new-look Chelsea at bay in a 0-0 draw in Group E, with the English team involved in its first goalless match since Frank Lampard arrived as manager in the offseason on 2019.

Lampard managed to cure his team’s issues at the back as Chelsea put on a solid defensive display at Stamford Bridge, helped by the return to the lineup of center back

Thiago Silva and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy – two of the new recruits.

And at one stage in the second half, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, substitute Hakim Ziyech and Ben Chilwell – the other four expensive signings – were all out there for Lampard but Sevilla held firm in a game of few real opportunities.

The Spanish side lost center back Sergi Gomez to injury in the first half, but restricted Chelsea to half-chances. The best fell to Kurt Zouma, who was unmarked at a corner but headed straight at the goalkeeper.

The closest Sevilla came to a goal was when Joan Jordán’s volley – straight from a corner by Ivan Rakitic – flew just over the crossbar in the second half.

Chelsea has already conceded three goals twice in five English Premier League games this season.

ASSOCIATED PRESS DORTMUND’S THOMAS DELANEY (left) challenges for the ball with Lazio’s Ciro Immobile during the Champions League group F match between Lazio and Borussia Dortmund at the Olympic stadium in Rome on Tuesday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS CHELSEA’S KAI HAVERTZ (left) and Chelsea’s Timo Werner leave the pitch after the Champions League Group E match between Chelsea and Sevilla at Stamford Bridge Stadium in London, England on Tuesday.