Ciro Immobile and Roman Burki were the star performers as Borussia Dortmund played out a 1-1 draw with Lazio in the UEFA Champions League.
Lazio further complicate their chances of qualifying to the next stage of the UEFA Champions League with a 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
The Italian giants did not look as comfortable as they were in the reverse fixture, perhaps due to a lack of home advantage, as BVB were the better side for the most part of the game. The Black and Yellows also created a lot of chances, especially in the first half, with Raphael Guerreiro giving them a well-deserved lead just before the half-time whistle.
Lazio did a better job in the second half, even though Ciro Immobile’s penalty equaliser came against the run of play as Nico Schulz fouled Sergej Milinkovic-Savic just inside the box. It was a controversial decision, but the former Dortmund man made no mistake in converting the spot-kick, thus scoring against BVB for the second time in a row.
Unfortunately for Lazio, they failed to continue the momentum of scoring the equaliser and failed to complete a comeback, as the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Here at The Hard Tackle, we will now run the rule over these two sides following this well-contested draw at the Signal Iduna Park.
Borussia Dortmund
Roman Burki: 8/10
Roman Burki was one of the better performers for Borussia Dortmund. He made a host of top quality saves, including the one to deny Immobile from range, ultimately helping his club seal a point.
Lukasz Piszczek: 6.5/10
Provided some much-needed rest for Emre Can at centre-back and looked decent for large parts of the game. Just did not have the fluidity as most of his teammates.
Mats Hummels: 7.5/10
Mats Hummels was a vital cog in the Dortmund backline, playing a key role in minimising the influence of his former teammate Immobile. His contributions at the back were indeed critical, but the German unfortunately picked up a late foot injury.
No Haaland.
Lost Hummels to injury.
Lost the lead.But Borussia Dortmund have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League once again.#BVBLazio pic.twitter.com/isDrcRxCT6
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) December 2, 2020
Manuel Akanji: 6.5/10
Following a disappointing display against Koln, Manuel Akanji improved a little, but his sloppy error could have led to a goal had it not been for Hummels. Kept Lazio attackers quiet for the most part.
Mateu Morey: 7/10
Filling in for the injured Thomas Meunier, Mateu Morey had an excellent game against Lazio. He looked confident on the ball, distributing possession well and keeping things neat and tidy at the back. His ability to read the game was always a bonus while the Spaniard also provided offensive support.
Jude Bellingham: 7/10
Jude Bellingham was much better against Lazio than his performance in the reverse fixture. The Englishman looked confident and showed the much-needed aggression against the opposition. He was also willing the test the goalkeeper and find key passes in the final third.
Thomas Delaney: 7/10
Thomas Delaney’s presence in the middle of the park was vital for Dortmund’s second line of press. The Dane made a few recoveries while also initiating a few attacks with his accurate forward passes.
Raphael Guerreiro: 7.5/10
Raphael Guerreiro ripped the Lazio defence apart to score his opener just before half-time. It was reflective of his quality as a wing-back, as the Portuguese international offered a lot of creativity on the left flank.
Raphaël Guerreiro puts the finishing touch on a lovely move from Borussia Dortmund.
They cut Lazio apart ruthlessly ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/ieHYrdY4fw
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 2, 2020
Thorgan Hazard: 7/10
Thorgan Hazard also had a good game against Lazio. The Belgian linked with up well with his teammates, notably providing the timely through ball to set up Guerreiro’s opener. He certainly deserves more chances in the Bundesliga.
Giovanni Reyna: 6.5/10
Giovanni Reyna looked quite dangerous at times with the ball at his feet. The USMNT international was also keen on testing the ‘keeper, but most of his efforts were rather tame.
Marco Reus: 6/10
Marco Reus played a key role in Dortmund’s first line of press. He won the ball a couple of times, but would have hoped for more penetration in the final third.
SUBSTITUTES
Nico Schulz: 5/10
Nico Schulz conceded the penalty that allowed Lazio to equalise in the second half. One could argue that the German was sort of unlucky to be penalised.
Julian Brandt: N/A
Replaced Hazard during the final phase of the game. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Jadon Sancho: N/A
Replaced Reus during the final phase of the game. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Axel Witsel: N/A
A late replacement for Bellingham. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Lazio
Pepe Reina: 6.5/10
Pepe Reina made a couple of easy saves to keep his team in the contest, but it was his poor clearance that led to the opener. Could have done a little better regarding his overall game.
Patric: 7.5/10
Patric remained solid in the Lazio backline as Dortmund pushed forward, especially in the first half. The defender stood strong, dealing with the pressure exerted by Reyna.
Wesley Hoedt: 7.5/10
Wesley Hoedt filled in for Luiz Felipe and the Dutchman did not disappoint either. He denied Reus any sort of penetration while winning the most amount of tackles in the game.
Francesco Acerbi: 7.5/10
Francesco Acerbi, aside from providing defensive support for Hoedt and Patric, marched forward whenever it was necessary. He was vital in the Lazio build-up, but missed a glaring opportunity in the first half, though he would have been deemed offside.
Adam Marusic: 7/10
Adam Marusic was a constant source of solidity on the right flank. He did well to provide defensive cover for Patric, especially with Reyna and Guerreiro doubling down.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic: 6.5/10
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic looked a bit iffy, failing to impose his dominance as he did in the reverse fixture. It was perhaps due to improved performances from the Dortmund midfielders.
Lucas Leiva: 6/10
It was not the best of matches for Lucas Leiva, who was, at times, overwhelmed by the pressure of Delaney and Bellingham. As a result, the ex-Liverpool star found it difficult to dominate proceedings.
Una buona prestazione però ancora non abbiamo raggiunto il nostro obiettivo.
Lá prossima settimana abbiamo un’altra finale.
Adesso recuperare le energie e tonare a vincere in campionato.#forzalazio #championsleague pic.twitter.com/fift6puIjz— Lucas Leiva (@LucasLeiva87) December 2, 2020
Luis Alberto: 6.5/10
Luis Alberto showed glimpses of his talents, at times, providing a real creative spark for Lazio. But those moments came few and far between for the visitors.
Mohamed Fares: 6.5/10
Mohamed Fares did well to keep things ticking on the left flank. He played a key role in one of Lazio’s chances, but did not provide much influence down the flanks from an offensive perspective.
Joaquin Correa: 6/10
Joaquin Correa certainly wasn’t the best of players for Lazio in this game. The 26-year-old lacked penetration as he failed to get the better of Hummels and company.
Ciro Immobile: 7.5/10
It was another impressive display by Ciro Immobile against his former team. Although the striker did not have too much freedom, his movement, work ethic and striking instructs kept the Dortmund defenders on their toes. The Italian striker eventually levelled the scoring with a calmly taken penalty in the second half.
SUBSTITUTES
Manuel Lazzari: 7.5/10
Manuel Lazzari offered real spark for Lazio after replacing Fares in the 70th minutes. One of his long passes to switch the play was particularly delightful.
Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro: 6/10
Akpa Akpro had scored the third goal for Lazio in the 3-1 win in the reverse fixture. But he failed to replicate that effort this time around.
Andreas Pereira: 7/10
Andrea Pereira looked quite dangerous during the late stages of the game. His free-kick, in particular, might have found the back of the net had it not been for Burki.
Felipe Caicedo: N/A
A late replacement for Milinkovic-Savic. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Gonzalo Escalante: N/A
A late replacement for Alberto. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
