Dortmund Finds Redemption in the Champions League

The Borussia Dortmund, struggling in the middle of the Bundesliga table during a lacklustre season, turns to the Champions League after securing their ticket to the quarter-finals. They will face Barça following a commendable victory, including a comeback, in their visit to Lille, the biggest positive surprise of the group stage, having reached the last eight and earned a spot in the round of 16.

One of the most evenly matched ties in this phase of the Champions League arrived at the Pierre Mauroy with everything to play for after Lille's valuable draw at the Westfalenstadion, where they withstood the threat of the Yellow Wall. The French side started stronger, took control of the ball, and struck early through Jonathan David, their key forward.

It took Borussia a while to wake up, only doing so after a quarter of an hour under pressure and already trailing, but they responded seriously. Alexsandro, on the line, and an outstanding Chevalier, with several consecutive saves, resisted the German onslaught, which Lille survived with stoicism to stretch again towards the end of the first half. Bruno Génésio's team even came close to 2-0 with a header from André, who sent it wide despite having everything in his favour. However, the last feeling before the break was a serious threat from Dortmund, who were denied an equaliser by the crossbar from a Gross header.

The German team was transformed after the break. Aware of being on the ropes, they took control of the match, and as a result of this surge, a penalty on Guirassy was awarded, which Emre Can converted to level the match and the tie. With everything to play for, the game opened up with chances for Haraldsson, whose shot was thwarted by Kobel, and Adeyemi, who hit the crossbar. Dortmund seemed closer to scoring, a feeling confirmed by Beier with a great move in the French area. Borussia had done the hardest part, turning the game around, and they didn't let the prize slip away. Kobel supported last season's European runner-up, who now faces Barça in the quarter-finals.