UCL: Borussia Dortmund Qualify for Champions League Knockout Stages

Borussia Dortmund have secured a spot in the Champions League last 16 after a goalless draw against Sporting CP at the Westfalenstadion.

Borussia Dortmund secured a spot in the Champions League last 16 despite a lackluster goalless draw against Sporting CP at the Westfalenstadion. The result was enough to ease Dortmund into the knockout stages, where they will face either Aston Villa or LOSC Lille.

Sporting CP's chances of progressing were slim, and the absence of injured star striker Viktor Gyokeres only made their task more difficult. Meanwhile, Dortmund's new manager Niko Kovac was seeking a morale-boosting win, despite his side having already done enough to advance in the first leg.

The slow pace of the game was reflective of the tie's dynamics, with Dortmund having done the bulk of the work in Lisbon last week. It took nearly half an hour for either goalkeeper to be tested, with Marcel Sabitzer's shot being the first to trouble Rui Silva.

Dortmund's Pascal Gross, who scored his first goal for the club in the first leg, came close to netting another, but was unable to reach Karim Adeyemi's clever ball. Serhou Guirassy also had a chance, but his effort was saved by Silva despite taking a deflection off Eduardo Quaresma.

A draw in Dortmund, but through to the next round! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Mu395HjBU9

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) February 19, 2025

Sporting CP's first-half performance was lackluster, with the team failing to register a single shot on goal. As the half drew to a close, it was clear that their European journey was coming to an end.

Sporting CP's goalkeeper, Rui Silva, continued to impress in the second half, making a couple of spectacular saves to deny Karim Adeyemi and Daniel Svensson. However, Silva's good work was nearly undone when he brought down Adeyemi in the box, conceding a penalty.

Despite his earlier mistake, Silva redeemed himself by making a brilliant diving save to his right, denying Serhou Guirassy from the spot. This remarkable save kept Sporting CP's slim hopes alive, but they were unable to capitalize on the momentum.

The visitors did manage to create a few chances, with half-time substitute Alexandre Brito testing Gregor Kobel with a low shot from distance just after the hour mark. However, this effort did not signal a Sporting onslaught, and instead, it was Dortmund who came close to taking the lead.

Our potential Round of 16 opponents! 🇫🇷🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/wGVc5Fio8F

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) February 19, 2025

Dortmund substitutes Maximilian Beier and Giovanni Reyna combined to create a scoring opportunity, with Beier playing in Reyna with a delightful pass. However, Reyna struck the post with his shot, missing a chance to break the deadlock.

Emre Can thought he had given Dortmund the lead on 72 minutes, nodding home Julian Ryerson's free-kick, but the offside flag denied the Dortmund captain. This proved to be the last meaningful action of the game, leaving Niko Kovac still waiting for his first victory at the Westfalenstadion as a manager.