Lazio Closer to Champions League Knockout Stage After Dortmund Tie

At the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Lazio snatched a key point on the way to qualifying for the Champions League Knockout Stage. Holding Borussia to a 1-1 draw, however, was not enough for the Biancocelesti to book their ticket to the Round of 16 yet. In order to do so, they will need at least one point from their last match with Club Brugge next week.

Simone Inzaghi’s squad managed to draw level in the second half with a Ciro Immobile penalty after Raphaël Guerreiro opened the scoring the home side. They eventually pegged Dortmund in their own half for the remainder of the game but couldn’t find the back of the net again.

Lazio’s task was surely made easier by the absence of Dortmund’s star striker Erling Braut Haaland. The Norwegian had to raise a white in the afternoon due to problem with his knee. Coach Lucien Favre deployed veteran Marco Reus in his place.

Simone Inzaghi, on the other hand, resorted to Pepe Reina between the sticks and Dutch defender Wesley Hoedt to form his three-man defense alongside Francesco Acerbi and Patric. The strikers were, as usual, Joaquìn Correa and former Borussia man Ciro Immobile – who spent the 2014-15 season at Dortmund.

✊ Unsere Startelf für #BVBLazio! pic.twitter.com/GW6jpZdJ1x

— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) December 2, 2020

The Germans started more aggressively but the Biancocelesti didn’t lose their composure and tried to punish them with some swift counterattacks. It was Simone Inzaghi’s boys who collected the first scoring chances indeed: On 15 minutes, Correa served Immobile in the box, but the incumbent Golden Boot was anticipated by Lukasz Piszczek. Five minutes later, Roman Burki denied Correa, who caught a Luis Alberto cross but found the German goalie ready to defuse his effort.

Dortmund reacted with a Thorgan Hazard show that was saved by Pepe Reina. Marco Reus went for the tap in, but failed to hit the goal target. In the 38th minute, Lazio went again close to open the scoring with another Correa – Immobile combination once again defused by Burki.

Just before the break, the score changed as Borussia unexpectedly managed to put themselves ahead. Favre’s side recovered the ball from a Reina throw in and finished with a sharp Guerreiro shot from a Hazard service. At half time, it was 1-0 for the home side.

#BVBLazio ⭐️
? Mister #Inzaghi ha scelto l'undici che sfiderà il @BVB!#UCL #CMonEagles ? pic.twitter.com/k8UagG07TL

— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio) December 2, 2020

After the restart, Lazio immediately looked for an equalizer, but Luis Alberto’s curl crashed above the bar. It was Borussia, on the other hand, to come closer to make it two as Reina had to go above and beyond to parry back a razor-sharp shot from his quasi-namesake Giovanni Reyna.

On 62 minutes, Favre made a substitution that turned out to be decisive – though not in the way one would expect. Nico Schulz replaced Raphaël Guerreiro and five minutes later fouled Sergej Milinkovic Savic in the box. Ciro Immobile comfortably buried the spot to draw level for the Biancocelesti.

Lazio showed thay they did want the three points and it took some fine goalkeeping on the part of Dormund’s custodian to keep the score unchanged. With three minutes to go, Burki pushed back a tricky wide angle shot from Immobile and then also denied an Andreas Pereira free-kick effort.

It ended 1-1 – a score that put both sides closer to the Champions League knockout stage, though Lazio could have perhaps hoped for something more.

MATCH REPORT

December 2, 2020 – Champions League 2020-21 Group Stage
BORUSSIA DORTMUND-LAZIO 1-1

SCORERS: 44′ Guerreiro (B), 67′ Immobile (L, pen.)

	BORUSSIA DORTMUND (4-3-3): Bürki; Piszczek, Akanji, Hummels; Morey, Delaney, Bellingham (88′ Witsel), Guerreiro (62′ Schulz); Reyna, Reus (75′ Sancho), Hazard (76′ Brandt) (Unbehaun, Hitz, Zagadou, Dahoud, Moukoko, Passlack) Coach: Favre
	LAZIO (3-5-2): Reina; Patric, Hoedt, Acerbi; Marusic, Milinkovic (79′ Caicedo), Lucas Leiva (69′ Akpa Akpro), Luis Alberto (80′ Escalante), Fares (69′ Lazzari); Immobile, Correa (70′ Pereira) (Strakosha, Alia, Luiz Felipe, Radu, Cataldi, Parolo, Anderson) Coach: S. Inzaghi

REFEREE: Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
NOTES: Yellow Cards: ; Extra Time: 1st Half 0′, 2nd Half 4′