Dortmund’s hot-shots eye goal record at Real Madrid – Porto, Sevilla hunt final knockout berths

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Moenchengladbach’s Belgian midfielder Thorgan Hazard, Dortmund’s Spanish defender Marc Bartra and Dortmund’s defender Marcel Schmelzer vie for the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga football match between Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach at the Signal-Iduna-Park in Dortmund, western Germany on Dec 3. (AFP)
Moenchengladbach’s Belgian midfielder Thorgan Hazard, Dortmund’s Spanish defender Marc Bartra and Dortmund’s defender Marcel Schmelzer vie for the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga football match between Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach at the Signal-Iduna-Park in Dortmund, western Germany on Dec 3. (AFP)

BERLIN, Dec 6, (AFP): Borussia Dortmund can set a new Champions League goal record at Real Madrid on Wednesday if the likes of Marco Reus, Ousmane Dembele or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang score at the Bernabeu.

Dortmund arrive in Madrid just one shy of the 20-goal record three teams — Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona — have previously tallied in the Champions League group stages.

Two of those, United, in 1998/99, and Real, who achieved ‘La Decima’ — a tenth European crown — in 2013/14, went on to win that season’s European title.

Thomas Tuchel’s leaders Dortmund hold a two-point advantage over Real in Group F and the winner of Wednesday’s clash in Madrid will qualify top of the table.

Star-studded Real, spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo, present a formidable challenge at home, but Dortmund are in buoyant mood.

While Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund grapple for top spot in Group F, twice former winners Porto and Sevilla look to clinch the two remaining spots in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

Portuguese giants Porto, European champions in 1987 and 2004, host Leicester City in their final group stage match wary of FC Copenhagen pipping them to second in Group G.

Despite a woeful defence of their Premier League crown, Leicester are guaranteed to finish top of their section in Europe and avoid the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in the next round.

And the Foxes could well decide which team joins them in the knockout phase with Copenhagen, third in the group, trailing Porto by two points ahead of a trip to pointless Club Brugge.

Porto halted a run of five straight draws courtesy of teenager Rui Pedro’s 95th-minute winner over Braga at the weekend, ending a club record run of 520 minutes without a goal.

Porto will secure their passage to the last 16 with victory over Leicester, but anything less will open the door for Copenhagen, who have a head-to-head advantage over the Portuguese on away goals.

Copenhagen, unbeaten domestically this term, stretched their lead in Denmark to 11 points on Saturday after securing an eighth successive win with a 1-0 defeat of Randers.

Three-time reigning Europa League champions Sevilla are favourites to advance alongside Juventus in Group H, with Lyon needing to beat the Spaniards by at least two goals at Parc OL.

Lyon’s preparations were overshadowed by the ugly scenes that prompted Saturday’s game at Metz to be called off after just 31 minutes with goalkeeper Anthony Lopes targeted by firecrackers thrown by home supporters.

The Portugal international, 26, was taken to hospital after suffering “traumatic hearing loss” in both ears but is expected to make a full recovery with no lasting damage.

His status for Wednesday’s fixture is very much in doubt, but Lyon will draw encouragement knowing Sevilla — without manager Jorge Sampaoli due to a touchline ban — have lost on all three previous trips to France.

Sevilla’s troubles away from home resurfaced in a 2-1 defeat at Granada over the weekend, with captain Vicente Iborra lamenting a sub-par performance.

Bayer Leverkusen, confirmed as runners-up of Group E, host Leonardo Jardim’s impressive table-topping Monaco, while Tottenham Hotspur must avoid defeat to CSKA Moscow at Wembley to parachute into the Europa League.

 

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