Malaga 0 - 0 Borussia Dortmund: Germans blow chances

BORUSSIA Dortmund wasted a host of chances to take a healthy advantage into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Malaga last night.

Mario Gotze was the main culprit, spurning three golden openings, as the visitors failed to find a way past the impressive Willy Caballero at La Rosaleda.

The away draw still leaves Jurgen Klopp’s side in a strong position ahead of the home leg, but the boss will know the tie could have been all but wrapped up already.

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Instead Malaga will travel to the Westfalenstadion still in with a shout of the last four. It did not take long for Dortmund’s attacking triumvirate of Robert Lewandowski, Gotze and Marco Reus to start exerting their influence as Dortmund started to open their hosts up almost at will.

Gotze ran clear on to a Lewandowski header as the Malaga backline appealed in vain for offside, but his shot lacked power and Caballero dived to make a one-handed save. The Germany international then got in one-on-one down the right of the area, but Caballero was again equal to his side-foot shot.

The hosts showed they could still be a threat when Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller had to be quick off his line to get to the ball ahead of Saviola and they ended the half in the ascendancy when Weidenfeller, under no pressure, spilled a Joaquin cross and Felipe Santana go to scramble the ball away to spare his team-mate’s blushes.

Gotze fired wide of the far post after racing on to a measured pass down the right as another opportunity came and went for the Germans, and it was Dortmund who left the pitch at full-time with a feeling of what might have been.

Malaga: Willy, Jesus Gamez, Demichelis, Weligton, Antunes, Toulalan, Iturra, Joaquin, Saviola (Francisco Portillo 67), Isco (Duda 87), Julio Baptista (Santa Cruz 76). Subs not used: Kameni, Lugano, Camacho, Sergio Sanchez.

Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller, Piszczek, Subotic, Felipe Santana, Schmelzer, Gundogan, Kehl (Bender 79), Reus (Schieber 69), Gotze (Kirch 90), Grosskreutz, Lewandowski. Subs not used: Langerak, Leitner, Sahin, Bittencourt.

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