Sancho, Reus send Dortmund to UCL quarters
Goals from Jadon Sancho and Marco Reus helped Borrusia Dortmund advance into the quarterfinals after securing a 2-1 (3-1 on aggregate) victory over PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Jadon Sancho (R) of Borussia Dortmund vies with Johan Bakayoko of PSV Eindhoven during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 match in Dortmund, Germany, March 13, 2024. (Photo by Joachim Bywaletz/Xinhua)
Dortmund made an immediate impact, with Jadon Sancho finding the net from 18 meters to give his team an early lead. Despite gaining momentum, Dortmund missed further opportunities to extend their lead, with Niclas Fullkrug and Donyell Malen being denied by Eindhoven's goalkeeper Walter Benitez.
Eindhoven had a hard time gaining a foothold into the clash and created the only noteworthy opportunity through Johan Bakayoko, who tested Benitez from the edge of the box at the half-hour mark.
After the restart, Eindhoven increased the pressure, as Hirving Lozano's long-range effort rattled the woodwork in the 53rd minute before Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel defused Jordan Teze's attempt three minutes later.
The Dutch visitors gained the upper hand but lacked precision in the final third as Lozano and Bakayoko wasted promising chances.
The hosts thought they had doubled the lead out of the blue in the 78th minute when Fullkrug's header following a free kick was ruled offside by the video assistant referee.
Eindhoven remained on the front foot but neither Teze nor Luuk de Jong was able to finish off promising opportunities in the closing stages.
The decisive moment came when Marco Reus, coming off the bench, secured Dortmund's victory and progression by tapping in Fullkrug's assist.
"It was our aim to advance into the next round. If we look at both games, we deservedly advanced into the next round. We took the early lead but missed to add more goals to our lead," said Dortmund coach Edin Terzic.
"We started other than well into the clash. After the half-hour mark, we took over but failed to make the most of our chances. We lacked in precision in the final third," commented Eindhoven coach Peter Bosz.