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Big Match Feature: BVB v Sevilla

football09 March 2021 05:16
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Borussia Dortmund hold the upper hand for the second leg of their round of 16 tie against Sevilla, although a late goal has given the Spanish club hope for the return. Catch the action live on SuperSport with live streaming available on DStv and Showmax.


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Suso's deflected strike gave the home side an early lead in the first leg, but Mahmoud Dahoud quickly levelled andtwo goals from Erling Haaland put the visitors in charge before half-time. A late Luuk de Jong goal brought Sevillaback into contention, although to go through they will still need to become only the sixth side in the UEFA ChampionsLeague era to overturn a home first-leg loss in the knockout phase.

Dortmund recovered from an early setback to finish first in Group F, losing at Lazio on Matchday 1 but remainingunbeaten in their next five fixtures (W4 D1) to end the section on 13 points, three ahead of their second-placed Italianrivals.

UEFA Europa League holders Sevilla reached the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds for the first time since2017/18 by finishing second behind Chelsea in Group E, also picking up 13 points from their six matches despite a 4-0 loss against the English club at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán – their heaviest home European defeat.

PREVIOUS MEETING

Sevilla and Dortmund's only fixtures before this tie came in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League group stage. TheSpanish side won 1-0 in Germany thanks to a first-half Luca Cigarini goal, before a 2-2 draw in Spain on Matchday 6with Romaric (31) and Frédéric Kanouté (35) on target for the home side after Shinji Kagawa's fourth-minute openerfor Dortmund. Neven Subotic made it 2-2 four minutes after half-time, but Dortmund were unable to find a winninggoal.

That left Sevilla in second place in Group J behind Paris Saint-Germain on ten points, one ahead of eliminatedDortmund.

FORM GUIDE

Dortmund

The German club responded to an opening 3-1 loss at Lazio this season by beating Zenit 2-0 at home beforedefeating Club Brugge 3-0 both in Belgium and in Germany. A 1-1 draw at home to Lazio on Matchday 5 confirmedtheir last-16 place before a 2-1 closing win at Zenit clinched top spot in Group F.

Second in the Bundesliga behind Bayern München for the second season running in 2019/20, this is Dortmund's15th UEFA Champions League campaign; they were winners in 1997, and runners-up in 2013. BVB have nowreached the round of 16 in seven of their last eight participations.

Under Lucien Favre, who left the club in December 2020 and has been replaced by Edin Terzic until the end of2020/21, Dortmund were second behind Barcelona in their section last season. They picked up ten points – seven ofthem at home – to finish ahead of Internazionale and Slavia Praha.

Dortmund were 2-1 winners at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 first leg, but bowed out after goingdown 2-0 in the return in France. That made their record at this stage W3 L3.

BVB were beaten away (0-3) and at home (0-1) by Tottenham in the 2018/19 round of 16 and have lost seven oftheir 13 matches at this stage of the UEFA Champions League (W5 D1).

Dortmund's home record in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 is W3 L3.

The German club's win in Seville was only their third in their last 11 knockout phase matches in UEFA competition(D2 L6), both previous victories in that sequence coming at home: 3-2 against Atalanta in the 2017/18 UEFA EuropaLeague round of 32 first leg and last season's first-leg defeat of Paris.

BVB have won nine of their last 14 European matches (D1 L4), none of the defeats coming at home.

Haaland, who has found the net in all five of his 2020/21 UEFA Champions League appearances having sat outMatchdays 5 and 6, is the leading scorer in this season's competition with eight goals.

Despite victories in five of their last six home matches, Dortmund have won only eight of their last 17 Europeangames in their own stadium (D4 L5).

The German club have lost only three of their 16 home matches against Spanish visitors (W8 D5), and have won fiveof the last eight (D2 L1).

The first leg of this tie was only Dortmund's second victory in nine matches against Liga clubs, home and away (D3L4).

This is Dortmund's first knockout tie against a Spanish club since a 3-2 aggregate loss to Real Madrid in the 2013/14UEFA Champions League quarter-finals (0-3 a, 2-0 h). That made their overall record in two-legged ties against Ligaopponents W5 L3. BVB's previous eight games with Liga sides before the first leg of this tie all came in the UEFAChampions League group stage.

Of the 15 UEFA competition ties in which they won the first leg away, Dortmund have triumphed on aggregate 14times, most recently against Odd in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League play-offs (4-3 a, 7-2 h). The sole exceptioncame against Genk in the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup third round when a 1-0 away success preceded a 2-1 homedefeat and elimination on away goals. They have never before won 3-2 away in the first leg.

Dortmund's record in UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W2 L2:

6-5 v Auxerre, 1992/93 UEFA Cup semi-final

3-1 v Rangers, 1999/2000 UEFA Cup third round

2-4 v Club Brugge, 2003/04 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round

3-4 v Udinese, 2008/09 UEFA Cup first round

Sevilla

The Spanish side opened Group E with a goalless draw at Chelsea before home wins against Rennes (1-0) andKrasnodar (3-2) and a 2-1 success in Russia that secured progress with two games to spare. That record 4-0 defeatto Chelsea followed before they rounded off the group stage with a 3-1 win at Rennes.

The Matchday 6 win at Rennes made it six away UEFA Champions League games without defeat for Sevilla (W3D3), since a 5-1 reverse at Spartak Moskva on Matchday 3 in 2017/18.

The Andalusian club have won only one of their four away games in the UEFA Champions League round of 16,though that was the most recent, 2-1 at Manchester United in 2017/18 (2-1 agg); their record otherwise is D1 L2.

This is Sevilla's sixth UEFA Champions League campaign, and a first since 2017/18, when they reached the quarterfinals. They have now qualified for the knockout phase in all but one of their participations.

Fourth in Spain in 2019/20, Sevilla have been group runners-up in their two most recent seasons in the competition,meaning this is the third successive campaign in which they have reached the round of 16.

Julen Lopetegui's side won the UEFA Europa League in 2019/20, beating Internazionale 3-2 in the final. It was theclub's record-extending sixth triumph in the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, all since 2006.

Sevilla finished first in their UEFA Europa League group last season with 15 points having won all but one of theirmatches, then ousted CFR Cluj on away goals in the round of 32 (1-1 a, 0-0 h) before victories in one-off ties inGermany against Roma (2-0), Wolverhampton Wanderers (1-0), Manchester United (2-1) and Inter.

In September, Sevilla lost 2-1 after extra time to European champions Bayern in the UEFA Super Cup in Budapest.It was their fifth defeat in the match in six appearances.

The Spanish side's record in two-legged knockout ties against German opposition is W3 L3. Their last UEFAChampions League campaign was ended by a Bundesliga club, Bayern München winning 2-1 in Seville and onaggregate in that 2017/18 quarter-final.

Sevilla have still lost only six of their 24 games against German opposition (W12 D6) although they have beenbeaten in four of their last five such fixtures. Aside from those two defeats by Bayern, they went down 4-2 at BorussiaMönchengladbach in the UEFA Champions League group stage in November 2015 – a result that ended a run of fivestraight wins against Bundesliga opponents, home and away.

The loss at Mönchengladbach is Sevilla's only defeat in their last four games against German hosts (W2 D1), themost recent of which was a 0-0 draw at Bayern in that 2017/18 UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg.They have a strong overall record in Germany with five wins from ten visits to German clubs (D2 L3) plus those fourwins in the country that concluded last season's UEFA Europa League triumph.

Despite defeats by Chelsea and Dortmund in their last two home games, Sevilla have still lost only seven of their last37 European matches (W25 D5).

In 2017/18 Sevilla recorded their first round of 16 success at the fourth attempt, ousting Manchester United (0-0 h, 2-1 a). They lost to Fenerbahçe in 2007/08, their first UEFA Champions League campaign, CSKA Moskva in 2009/10and Leicester City in 2016/17.

Sevilla have lost the home first leg three times previously in UEFA competition, winning one of those ties onaggregate and losing the other two, even though they were unbeaten in all three second legs. They were eliminatedby Porto in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League round of 32, losing 2-1 at home and going out despite a 1-0 away win;three years later, in the last 16 of the same competition, they beat city rivals Real Betis 4-3 on penalties after eachside had won 2-0 away, before their most recent UEFA Champions League campaign was ended by Bayern in2017/18.

Sevilla's record in six UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W5 L1:

4-3 v PAOK, 1990/91 UEFA Cup first round

3-1 v Espanyol, 2006/07 UEFA Cup final

2-3 v Fenerbahçe, 2007/08 UEFA Champions League round of 16

4-3 v Real Betis, 2013/14 UEFA Europa League round of 16

4-2 v Benfica, 2013/14 UEFA Europa League final

5-4 v Athletic Club, 2015/16 UEFA Europa League quarter-final

LINKS AND TRIVIA

Have played in Germany:

Karim Rekik (Hertha Berlin 2017–20)

Sergio Escudero (Schalke 2010–13)

Ivan Rakitic (Schalke 2007–11)

Luuk de Jong (Borussia Mönchengladbach 2012–14)

Rekik's record against Dortmund with Hertha was D1 L3. Thorgan Hazard and Jadon Sancho got the goals in BVB's2-1 win in Berlin on 30 November 2019; Sancho had also scored both BVB goals in a 2-2 draw with Hertha on 27October 2018, while Thomas Delaney, Dan-Axel Zagadou and Marco Reus were on target in Dortmund's 3-2 awayvictory on 16 March 2019.

Rakitic's goal helped Schalke to a 2-1 Bundesliga defeat of Dortmund, whose side included Marcel Schmelzer andMats Hummels, on 26 February 2010.

New Sevilla signing Alejandro Gómez was in the Atalanta side defeated 4-3 on aggregate by Dortmund in the2017/18 UEFA Europa League round of 32.

Have played in Spain:

Mateu Morey (Barcelona youth 2015–19)

Reinier (Real Madrid 2020–)

Have played together:

Emre Can & Suso (Liverpool 2014/15)

Manuel Akanji & Tomáš Vaclík (Basel 2015–18)

Nico Schulz was on target in Germany's 3-2 UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying win against a Netherlands side includinglate substitute Luuk de Jong on 24 March 2019.

Mats Hummels' late goal past Vaclík earned Germany a 2-1 victory win against the Czech Republic in 2018 FIFAWorld Cup qualifying on 1 September 2017.

LATEST NEWS

Dortmund

UEFA Champions League squad changes

In: Stefan Tigges

Out: Axel Witsel

Julian Brandt's next appearance in UEFA club competition will be his 50th.

Dortmund won their first three matches without conceding since the first leg against Sevilla before going down 4-2 atBayern on Saturday, a game in which they had led 2-0.

On 20 February Dortmund prevailed 4-0 at Schalke, Erling Haaland scoring twice.

One week later BVB won 3-0 against Arminia Bielefeld, Reinier scoring his first goal for the club.

Haaland struck twice in the first nine minutes against Bayern at the weekend; Dortmund were the first visiting teamto score two Bundesliga goals in the first nine minutes at Bayern since Duisburg in 1977.

Dortmund reached the semi-finals of the German Cup on 2 March thanks to a 1-0 win at Mönchengladbach. JadonSancho scored the only goal, with Dortmund holding on despite Mahmoud Dahoud's late red card.

Dortmund are unbeaten in six home games (W4 D2), since a 5-1 defeat against Stuttgart on 12 December.

Dortmund have already suffered nine defeats in their 24 Bundesliga matches this season, two more than in thewhole of 2019/20.

Haaland, who has 32 goals in 34 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund, became the first Bundesliga player to score25 goals in his first 25 matches when he was on target twice in a 3-1 win in Leipzig on 9 January. He was replacedagainst Bayern after suffering an ankle injury.

Sancho has scored six goals in his last eight Dortmund appearances, and has found the net in each of the last three.

Raphaël Guerreiro (calf) and Sancho (thigh) both had to be substituted in Mönchengladbach and missed the defeatat Bayern.

Manuel Akanji has missed the last four games because of a hamstring injury.

Roman Bürki has not played since 22 January due to a shoulder injury, although he was on the bench at Bayern.

Dan-Axel Zagadou was out between 16 January and 27 February with a hamstring problem. Thorgan Hazard (thigh)also returned in the win against Bielefeld on 27 February, his first appearance since a 2-0 German Cup victory atEintracht Braunschweig on 22 December.

Witsel is facing a long spell on the sidelines after rupturing his left Achilles tendon at Leipzig. He has been removedfrom Dortmund's UEFA Champions League squad, while Marcel Schmelzer, who underwent knee surgery in July, hasalso been left out.

On 25 February BVB announced that Marwin Hitz has extended his contract until 2023.

Sevilla

UEFA Champions League squad changes

In: Alejandro Gómez (Atalanta), Aleix Vidal

Out: Carlos Fernández (Real Sociedad), Oussama Idrissi (Ajax, loan), Javi Díaz, Franco Vázquez, Javi Vázquez

Having had their nine-game winning run in all competitions ended by the first-leg defeat against Dortmund, Sevillahave lost three of their subsequent four matches, going down 2-1 at Elche on Saturday.

The other two defeats came against Barcelona – 0-2 at home in the Liga on 27 February and 3-0 away after extratime in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg on 3 March, the latter result overturning a 2-0 first-leg advantage.

Julen Lopetegui's side have 48 points after 25 matches of the 2020/21 Liga season, five more than at the samestage last year.

After scoring eight goals in as many appearances between 9 January and 6 February, Youssef En-Nesyri is withouta goal in seven games in all competitions.

Yassine Bounou picked up a finger injury in training and missed the cup defeat at Barcelona and Saturday's Ligaloss at Elche.

Aleix Vidal had to be substituted in the defeat at Barcelona with a hamstring problem and sat out the weekenddefeat.

Jules Koundé missed the Elche match with a knock.

Marcos Acuña suffered a thigh muscle injury in the 2-0 win at Eibar on 30 January, returning in the Copa del Reyloss at Barcelona.

Lucas Ocampos suffered a sprained ankle in the 3-0 home win against Getafe on 6 February, returning at Barcelonaon 3 March. The Argentinian missed a penalty in the game - the first time he has ever failed to convert a spot kick,having scored the previous 11.

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