Malaga 0-0 Borussia Dortmund: Pain in Spain as Gotze and co fluff El of a lot of chances
Willy Caballero saves the home side again and again in
Champions League quarter-final's first leg but Germans still favourites
to reach semis
Stuart Franklin
Borussia Dortmund wasted a host of chances to take a healthy
advantage into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final
against Malaga.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.
Instead Malaga, who, for all their opponents' dominance, still caused Dortmund the odd nervy moment, will travel to the Westfalenstadion still in with a shout of the last four.
Malaga had the first chance when Javier Saviola ran onto a clipped pass down the right of the area, got to the byline and cut inside, only to opt to go for the near post rather than the far and dragged his shot wide.
Stuart Franklin
But 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.
Reus then brought another save out of the keeper after neat link-up play and a low shot from the edge of the area.
The young trio were causing Malaga all sorts of problems, with only the killer finish lacking.
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.
Their defence, though, continued to live dangerously and Weligton was booked for pulling back Lewandowski right on the edge of the area, Reus curling the resulting free-kick wide.
David Ramos
But Malaga ended the half in the ascendancy.Weidenfeller, under no pressure, spilled a Joaquin cross and Felipe Santana go to scramble the ball away to spare his team-mate's blushes.
But the keeper redeemed himself with a fine save to keep out a Weligton header from a Joaquin corner.
Stuart Franklin
Lewandowski fluffed another golden Dortmund chance minutes
after the break, skewing his shot horribly wide when Gotze's cut-back
found him in plenty of space in front of goal.Gotze then 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.
At the other end, Isco drilled effort was parried well by Weidenfeller, but it was Dortmund who left the pitch at full-time with a feeling of what might have been. ---------------- Mirror Football
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