Bürki's late saves preserve 1-1 draw with Lazio, BVB limp into UCL Round-of-16
A single point in the UCL return leg against Lazio Rom at Signal Iduna Park proved arithmetically sufficient for Lucien Favre & Co to advance to the 2020/21 UCL Round-of-16.
Problems continued to mount for the BVB, however, as defensive captain Mats Hummels reportedly sustained a new injury.
Lucien Favre's first lineup of what will be a long stretch without Erling Haaland pocketed Giovanni Reyna as a false-nine. Reyna was flanked by Marco Reus and Thorgan Hazard. Jude Bellingham and Thomas Delaney worked central midfield, with Raphaël Guerreiro and Mateu Morey also providing wing support in a 3-4-3.
Problems continued to mount for the BVB, however, as defensive captain Mats Hummels reportedly sustained a new injury.
Lazio's strong central defensive preserved a midfield stalemate over the course of the opening half hour. Reus and Hazard finally broke through with a double chance in the 31st. Both teams continued to try to advance through the middle for much of the first half, with neither side being truly able to punch through.
A propitious bounce enabled the German hosts to open the scoring one minute before the stroke of half-time. Guerreiro pounced on a deflected clearance, quickly executing a give-and-go with Hazard and finishing the return himself. The Schwarzgelben were able to engineer a few chances to double their advantage, with Reyna getting the best opportunity in the 50th.
The Italian guests were able to get a chance at equalizing after substitute Nico Schulz was adjudged to have hauled down Sergej Milikovic-Savic in the 65th. The subjective foul is sure to generate some controversy as referee Antonion Lahoz declined to give the play a VAR review.
Converting the penalty was none other that ex-Dortmunder Ciro Immobile, who again proved a rather prickly thorn in his former club's side. Schulz and Morey were able to get efforts near the target thereafter, but it was Immobile who generated the far more dangerous goal-scoring threats.
Keeper Roman Bürki had to be at his best to deny Immobile in the 87th, and genuinely rescued his team with a save of a treacherous Andreas Pereira free kick at 90+4.
German footballing magazine Kicker also reports, without any further information at this point, that Mats Hummels incurred an injury late in the match.