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▼ Kagawa Shines as Dortmund Falls in Rescheduled Game
- Category:Event
DORTMUND, GERMANY – Midfielder Shinji Kagawa scored one goal and created another but Borussia Dortmund lost the first leg of their rescheduled Champions League quarterfinal against Monaco 3-2 on Wednesday, a day after three explosions targeted the German Bundesliga team’s bus.
Kagawa showed great awareness to set up Ousmane Dembele to tap in from close range. He slotted home a low effort in the late stages to give Dortmund hope ahead of next week’s second leg in France.
Kagawa admitted it was difficult to prepare for the game after Tuesday’s traumatic incident, which badly hurt Spanish teammate Marc Bartra. The defender had to undergo surgery for injuries to his wrist and arm after the attack.
“I was on the bus too (on Tuesday) and I don’t really know what to say about it (the incident). It was really difficult to adjust mentally (for the game),” Kagawa said in a post on his blog.
“But I faced the game trying to focus on playing well. We wanted to get a win for Bartra. We will try and turn things around (in the second leg).”
Kylian Mbappe scored twice for Monaco. Fabinho missed a penalty for the visitors, but they got a slice of luck in an own goal by Dortmund’s Lars Bender that put the French side in control of the tie.
“We’re facing a big challenge in the return leg. We will continue to believe and try everything,” Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel said.
“It required a lot of bravery and courage, and we showed that tonight. Perhaps it also helped us to do something and distract ourselves with football for the 90 minutes.
“Unfortunately, after the events of Tuesday, we were not in the best condition. That’s tough to take, because our Champions League dream was at stake here. We’ve tried to make the best of it and we will try to dust ourselves down for next week. We don’t want to be knocked out and we will continue to believe.”
Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin said it was “not a nice feeling” to have had to play so soon after the attack on the bus.
“I wouldn’t wish what happened to us yesterday on anyone,” he told Dortmund’s website. “It only really dawned on me how lucky we were when I came home and saw my wife and son standing in the doorway. I know football’s like this and we have to continue. But it’s important not to forget that we’re just human beings too. It wasn’t a nice feeling to have to play so soon after what happened.”
Tuchel also said he felt his club had been completely ignored by European soccer’s governing body UEFA over the rescheduling of the match.
“We wish we’d had more time to deal with what happened but someone in Switzerland decided we have to play. Not very fair,” he was quoted as saying.
German police have detained a suspect with “Islamist links” following the attack on the bus, according to the BBC.
Prosecutors also said the three explosive devices contained metal pieces. They are treating the blasts as a terrorist attack but say the precise motive is unclear at present
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said the attack was “an appalling crime” and praised the fans of both Dortmund and Monaco, for coming together.
In Munich, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for Real Madrid to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal, ending the German side’s tournament record of 16 straight wins at home.
Ronaldo’s second-half goals meant he became the first player to score 100 goals in UEFA club competition. The Portuguese star ensured Madrid came from behind — after Arturo Vidal’s 25th-minute header for Bayern — to put the defending champions on course to reach the semifinals for a seventh successive year. The second leg takes place in Madrid on Tuesday.
“It was a bit unlucky. We were the better team in the first half. We believe we can still do it,” Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said.
Bayern was without club top scorer Robert Lewandowski after he failed to recover from a knock to his right shoulder. But it had not been beaten at home in the competition since April 2014, when it lost 4-0 to Madrid in the semifinals. Madrid went on to win the title with Carlo Ancelotti, the current Bayern coach, in charge at the time.
Ancelotti’s successor at Madrid, Zinedine Zidane, is bidding to become the first coach to lead a side to back-to-back titles in the Champions League era.
Bayern forced several corners early on and the sixth finally paid off when Vidal headed home through Keylor Navas’ fingers.
Bayern should have been 2-0 up at the break, but Vidal sent his penalty well over the bar after Dani Carvajal was adjudged to have handled the ball. The Madrid defender was booked though TV replays showed Ribery’s shot had hit his upper body.
Ronaldo scored two minutes after the interval with one touch to Carvajal’s cross.
It ensured Madrid extended its Spanish record of scoring in 53 consecutive games.
Zidane had evidently made good use of the break as Madrid appeared a different side in the second half. Bayern was dealt a blow with a half-hour to play when Javi Martinez was sent off with two yellow cards within three minutes for fouls on Ronaldo.
“The sending off was the turning point,” Bayern captain Philipp Lahm said.
In truth, Madrid had already forced the home side back. Navas had little to do and Manuel Neuer was by far the busier ‘keeper.
Neuer denied Karim Benzema, then Ronaldo from point blank, but he couldn’t stop the ball from squirming between his legs from Ronaldo’s shot in the 77th to give Madrid the clear advantage.
It could have been worse for Bayern — Sergio Ramos had a goal ruled out late for offside.
Kagawa showed great awareness to set up Ousmane Dembele to tap in from close range. He slotted home a low effort in the late stages to give Dortmund hope ahead of next week’s second leg in France.
Kagawa admitted it was difficult to prepare for the game after Tuesday’s traumatic incident, which badly hurt Spanish teammate Marc Bartra. The defender had to undergo surgery for injuries to his wrist and arm after the attack.
“I was on the bus too (on Tuesday) and I don’t really know what to say about it (the incident). It was really difficult to adjust mentally (for the game),” Kagawa said in a post on his blog.
“But I faced the game trying to focus on playing well. We wanted to get a win for Bartra. We will try and turn things around (in the second leg).”
Kylian Mbappe scored twice for Monaco. Fabinho missed a penalty for the visitors, but they got a slice of luck in an own goal by Dortmund’s Lars Bender that put the French side in control of the tie.
“We’re facing a big challenge in the return leg. We will continue to believe and try everything,” Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel said.
“It required a lot of bravery and courage, and we showed that tonight. Perhaps it also helped us to do something and distract ourselves with football for the 90 minutes.
“Unfortunately, after the events of Tuesday, we were not in the best condition. That’s tough to take, because our Champions League dream was at stake here. We’ve tried to make the best of it and we will try to dust ourselves down for next week. We don’t want to be knocked out and we will continue to believe.”
Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin said it was “not a nice feeling” to have had to play so soon after the attack on the bus.
“I wouldn’t wish what happened to us yesterday on anyone,” he told Dortmund’s website. “It only really dawned on me how lucky we were when I came home and saw my wife and son standing in the doorway. I know football’s like this and we have to continue. But it’s important not to forget that we’re just human beings too. It wasn’t a nice feeling to have to play so soon after what happened.”
Tuchel also said he felt his club had been completely ignored by European soccer’s governing body UEFA over the rescheduling of the match.
“We wish we’d had more time to deal with what happened but someone in Switzerland decided we have to play. Not very fair,” he was quoted as saying.
German police have detained a suspect with “Islamist links” following the attack on the bus, according to the BBC.
Prosecutors also said the three explosive devices contained metal pieces. They are treating the blasts as a terrorist attack but say the precise motive is unclear at present
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said the attack was “an appalling crime” and praised the fans of both Dortmund and Monaco, for coming together.
Ronaldo sparks Real Madrid
In Munich, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for Real Madrid to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal, ending the German side’s tournament record of 16 straight wins at home.
Ronaldo’s second-half goals meant he became the first player to score 100 goals in UEFA club competition. The Portuguese star ensured Madrid came from behind — after Arturo Vidal’s 25th-minute header for Bayern — to put the defending champions on course to reach the semifinals for a seventh successive year. The second leg takes place in Madrid on Tuesday.
“It was a bit unlucky. We were the better team in the first half. We believe we can still do it,” Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said.
Bayern was without club top scorer Robert Lewandowski after he failed to recover from a knock to his right shoulder. But it had not been beaten at home in the competition since April 2014, when it lost 4-0 to Madrid in the semifinals. Madrid went on to win the title with Carlo Ancelotti, the current Bayern coach, in charge at the time.
Ancelotti’s successor at Madrid, Zinedine Zidane, is bidding to become the first coach to lead a side to back-to-back titles in the Champions League era.
Bayern forced several corners early on and the sixth finally paid off when Vidal headed home through Keylor Navas’ fingers.
Bayern should have been 2-0 up at the break, but Vidal sent his penalty well over the bar after Dani Carvajal was adjudged to have handled the ball. The Madrid defender was booked though TV replays showed Ribery’s shot had hit his upper body.
Ronaldo scored two minutes after the interval with one touch to Carvajal’s cross.
It ensured Madrid extended its Spanish record of scoring in 53 consecutive games.
Zidane had evidently made good use of the break as Madrid appeared a different side in the second half. Bayern was dealt a blow with a half-hour to play when Javi Martinez was sent off with two yellow cards within three minutes for fouls on Ronaldo.
“The sending off was the turning point,” Bayern captain Philipp Lahm said.
In truth, Madrid had already forced the home side back. Navas had little to do and Manuel Neuer was by far the busier ‘keeper.
Neuer denied Karim Benzema, then Ronaldo from point blank, but he couldn’t stop the ball from squirming between his legs from Ronaldo’s shot in the 77th to give Madrid the clear advantage.
It could have been worse for Bayern — Sergio Ramos had a goal ruled out late for offside.
- April 18, 2017
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