Borussia Dortmund fought back to defeat bitter rivals Bayern Munich 3-2 on Wednesday to reach the German Cup final and shatter the Bavarian giants&#39; dreams of the double.

A brilliant strike from Ousmane Dembele 15 minutes from the end settled a tie at Munich&#39;s Allianz Arena which had seen Dortmund trail 2-1 at half-time.

It was a dramatic turn-around for Thomas Tuchel&#39;s Dortmund who were hammered 4-1 by runaway leaders Bayern in Munich in the Bundesliga just three weeks ago.

&quot;We came from 2-1 down and still won - that&#39;s crazy,&quot; beamed Tuchel.

&quot;We had completely written off our 4-1 defeat in the league. We played well for 20 minutes and then we let it slip.

&quot;After the break, we kept improving and improving, from the 60th minute we were very good. We certainly had a bit of luck too.&quot;

In a repeat of last year&#39;s final at Berlin&#39;s Olympic Stadium, which Bayern won in a penalty shoot-out, Marco Reus put Dortmund ahead after 19 minutes following a mistake by Munich&#39;s Javi Martinez.

The Spanish international&#39;s lazy back pass was snapped up by Dortmund midfielder Raphael Guerreiro, whose snot hit the post and Reus drilled the rebound.

Martinez made amends by equalising with a header nine minutes later before Mats Hummels put Bayern 2-1 ahead at half-time.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made it 2-2 on 69 minutes when he headed home a superb Dembele cross.

That paved the way for the French teenager to hit the winner with a curling left-foot shot.

Dortmund will play in a fourth consecutive final on May 27, when they face Eintracht Frankfurt, who reached the final on Tuesday with a penalty shoot-out win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.

The cup defeat in Munich leaves Bayern winless in their last five games following back-to-back defeats to Real Madrid which saw them crash out of the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Carlo Ancelotti&#39;s Bayern are eight points clear in the Bundesliga with four games left, but their dreams of winning the double came a cropper at the hands of Dortmund.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Borussia Dortmund will meet Eintracht Frankfurt in the final

Borussia Dortmund fought back to defeat bitter rivals Bayern Munich 3-2 on Wednesday to reach the German Cup final and shatter the Bavarian giants' dreams of the double. A brilliant strike from Ousmane Dembele 15 minutes from the end settled a tie at Munich's Allianz Arena which had seen Dortmund trail 2-1 at half-time. It was a dramatic turn-around for Thomas Tuchel's Dortmund who were hammered 4-1 by runaway leaders Bayern in Munich in the Bundesliga just three weeks ago. "We came from 2-1 down and still won - that's crazy," beamed Tuchel. "We had completely written off our 4-1 defeat in the league. We played well for 20 minutes and then we let it slip. "After the break, we kept improving and improving, from the 60th minute we were very good. We certainly had a bit of luck too." In a repeat of last year's final at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, which Bayern won in a penalty shoot-out, Marco Reus put Dortmund ahead after 19 minutes following a mistake by Munich's Javi Martinez. The Spanish international's lazy back pass was snapped up by Dortmund midfielder Raphael Guerreiro, whose snot hit the post and Reus drilled the rebound. Martinez made amends by equalising with a header nine minutes later before Mats Hummels put Bayern 2-1 ahead at half-time. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made it 2-2 on 69 minutes when he headed home a superb Dembele cross. That paved the way for the French teenager to hit the winner with a curling left-foot shot. Dortmund will play in a fourth consecutive final on May 27, when they face Eintracht Frankfurt, who reached the final on Tuesday with a penalty shoot-out win over Borussia Moenchengladbach. The cup defeat in Munich leaves Bayern winless in their last five games following back-to-back defeats to Real Madrid which saw them crash out of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti's Bayern are eight points clear in the Bundesliga with four games left, but their dreams of winning the double came a cropper at the hands of Dortmund. (AFP)

German Cup: Dortmund stage fightback to overcome Bayern Munich

The explosives used in the attack on the bus of football team Borussia Dortmund may have come from supplies belonging to the German armed forces, a newspaper cited a source involved in the investigation as saying on Saturday.

It is still unclear who carried out Tuesday&#39;s attack. German prosecutors have doubts about the authenticity of letters that suggested Islamist militants were behind it and Bild newspaper cited an investigator as saying right-wing extremists were probably responsible.

&quot;The explosives in the pipe bombs, which were filled with metal pins, might have come from the stocks of the German armed forces but that&#39;s still being checked,&quot; newspaper Welt am Sonntag cited a source involved in the investigation as saying.

The source also said that specialist knowledge was required to use the military detonators, which are not easy to get.

A spokeswoman for the federal public prosecutor&#39;s office declined to comment on the report.

The players&#39; bus was heading to their stadium for a Champions League match against AS Monaco on Tuesday when three explosions occurred, injuring Spanish defender Marc Bartra and delaying the match by a day. Dortmund said on Twitter on Saturday Bartra had been released from hospital.

Welt am Sonntag said police thought further attacks were possible, citing a document sent to regional police headquarters as saying that soccer games, rock concerts and cultural events were particularly at risk.

It said regional police wanted to have a greater presence if necessary and use dogs trained to sniff out explosives.

Joachim Herrmann, interior minister of the state of Bavaria, told the same newspaper Bavaria planned to use more video surveillance, especially in crime hotspots and in public places - a controversial issue in Germany, where memories of the Nazi Gestapo and the Stasi security police still linger.

Joachim Thomas, chairman of the association of German stadium operators, told Welt am Sonntag he believed full-body scanners would be used at entrances to stadiums in future.

Arnold Plickert, GdP police union&#39;s deputy chairman, said police were overstretched already and did not have enough staff to keep watch over a team&#39;s hotel night after night so clubs would have to provide extra security staff if they wanted that.

Dortmund are due host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga for a game at 1330 GMT on Saturday.

Bild cited Axel Hellmann, a member of Eintracht&#39;s executive board, as saying it had boosted security for the match. Dortmund police posted a picture on Twitter showing an armed officer outside the stadium, saying they had provided more security inside and out.

Bild said experts from the federal interior ministry and the interior ministries of Germany&#39;s states had discussed security for major events during a telephone conference on Wednesday and had decided checks at entrances to events should be boosted.

There was no immediate comment from the federal ministry.

(Reuters)

Bild newspaper cited an investigator as saying extremists were probably responsible and added the materials probably belonged to the army

The explosives used in the attack on the bus of football team Borussia Dortmund may have come from supplies belonging to the German armed forces, a newspaper cited a source involved in the investigation as saying on Saturday. It is still unclear who carried out Tuesday's attack. German prosecutors have doubts about the authenticity of letters that suggested Islamist militants were behind it and Bild newspaper cited an investigator as saying right-wing extremists were probably responsible. "The explosives in the pipe bombs, which were filled with metal pins, might have come from the stocks of the German armed forces but that's still being checked," newspaper Welt am Sonntag cited a source involved in the investigation as saying. The source also said that specialist knowledge was required to use the military detonators, which are not easy to get. A spokeswoman for the federal public prosecutor's office declined to comment on the report. The players' bus was heading to their stadium for a Champions League match against AS Monaco on Tuesday when three explosions occurred, injuring Spanish defender Marc Bartra and delaying the match by a day. Dortmund said on Twitter on Saturday Bartra had been released from hospital. Welt am Sonntag said police thought further attacks were possible, citing a document sent to regional police headquarters as saying that soccer games, rock concerts and cultural events were particularly at risk. It said regional police wanted to have a greater presence if necessary and use dogs trained to sniff out explosives. Joachim Herrmann, interior minister of the state of Bavaria, told the same newspaper Bavaria planned to use more video surveillance, especially in crime hotspots and in public places - a controversial issue in Germany, where memories of the Nazi Gestapo and the Stasi security police still linger. Joachim Thomas, chairman of the association of German stadium operators, told Welt am Sonntag he believed full-body scanners would be used at entrances to stadiums in future. Arnold Plickert, GdP police union's deputy chairman, said police were overstretched already and did not have enough staff to keep watch over a team's hotel night after night so clubs would have to provide extra security staff if they wanted that. Dortmund are due host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga for a game at 1330 GMT on Saturday. Bild cited Axel Hellmann, a member of Eintracht's executive board, as saying it had boosted security for the match. Dortmund police posted a picture on Twitter showing an armed officer outside the stadium, saying they had provided more security inside and out. Bild said experts from the federal interior ministry and the interior ministries of Germany's states had discussed security for major events during a telephone conference on Wednesday and had decided checks at entrances to events should be boosted. There was no immediate comment from the federal ministry. (Reuters)

Dortmund bus attack explosives may belong to Germany military: Report

A hat-trick by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic&#39;s dazzling display fired Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-0 thrashing of Benfica on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The result saw Dortmund win the round-of-16 tie 4-1 on aggregate after Aubameyang&#39;s early goal cancelled out Borussia&#39;s 1-0 defeat in Lisbon last month.

The Gabon hot-shot has now scored seven times in his last three games and has seven Champions League goals in as many matches this season.

He is on 28 goals for the season as Dortmund reached the last eight in Europe for the first time since 2013/14.

But it fell to US international Pulisic, who only turns 19 in September, to net the Germans&#39; crucial second on 59 minutes, which put Dortmund ahead for the first time on aggregate.

Pulisic, in for injured Germany winger Marco Reus, claimed his first Champions League goal and set up Aubameyang&#39;s opening goal in an impressive all-round display.

After Kostas Mitroglou sealed Benfica&#39;s 1-0 first-leg victory, Dortmund took just four minutes to cancel out the advantage.

Ousmane Dembele&#39;s corner was flicked on by Pulisic to Aubameyang, who headed home at the far post to delight the sell-out Signal Iduna Park crowd.

It was redemption for the Gabon striker, who had a night to forget in the first leg, missing four clear chances including a penalty in Lisbon.

After a strong start from the hosts, Benfica clawed their way back with captain Luisao heading straight at Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki from a free-kick midway through the half.

Dembele showed his youth, needlessly picking up a booking from English referee Martin Atkinson late in the first half for bitterly complaining after conceding a free-kick with a push on Andreas Samaris.

Benfica grew in confidence as the half wore on and Dortmund&#39;s defence wobbled, but it finished 1-0 at the break.

Dortmund had a big let-off soon after when Lukasz Piszczek failed with a clearance, which Franco Cervi snapped up on the edge of the box, but his shot was blocked.

Aubameyang then squandered three golden chances at close range before Pulisic finally got the breakthrough.

The US starlet chipped his shot over the advancing Ederson on 59 minutes after Piszczek&#39;s superb pass into the area.

Aubameyang grabbed his second just two minutes later when he stabbed home Marcel Schmelzer&#39;s pass.

He hit his third goal of the night on 85 minutes when Erik Durm&#39;s run and cross from the right handed him a simple tap-in.

(AFP)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's goals helped his side overcome a 0-1 disadvantage at their home ground

A hat-trick by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic's dazzling display fired Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-0 thrashing of Benfica on Wednesday. The result saw Dortmund win the round-of-16 tie 4-1 on aggregate after Aubameyang's early goal cancelled out Borussia's 1-0 defeat in Lisbon last month. The Gabon hot-shot has now scored seven times in his last three games and has seven Champions League goals in as many matches this season. He is on 28 goals for the season as Dortmund reached the last eight in Europe for the first time since 2013/14. But it fell to US international Pulisic, who only turns 19 in September, to net the Germans' crucial second on 59 minutes, which put Dortmund ahead for the first time on aggregate. Pulisic, in for injured Germany winger Marco Reus, claimed his first Champions League goal and set up Aubameyang's opening goal in an impressive all-round display. After Kostas Mitroglou sealed Benfica's 1-0 first-leg victory, Dortmund took just four minutes to cancel out the advantage. Ousmane Dembele's corner was flicked on by Pulisic to Aubameyang, who headed home at the far post to delight the sell-out Signal Iduna Park crowd. It was redemption for the Gabon striker, who had a night to forget in the first leg, missing four clear chances including a penalty in Lisbon. After a strong start from the hosts, Benfica clawed their way back with captain Luisao heading straight at Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki from a free-kick midway through the half. Dembele showed his youth, needlessly picking up a booking from English referee Martin Atkinson late in the first half for bitterly complaining after conceding a free-kick with a push on Andreas Samaris. Benfica grew in confidence as the half wore on and Dortmund's defence wobbled, but it finished 1-0 at the break. Dortmund had a big let-off soon after when Lukasz Piszczek failed with a clearance, which Franco Cervi snapped up on the edge of the box, but his shot was blocked. Aubameyang then squandered three golden chances at close range before Pulisic finally got the breakthrough. The US starlet chipped his shot over the advancing Ederson on 59 minutes after Piszczek's superb pass into the area. Aubameyang grabbed his second just two minutes later when he stabbed home Marcel Schmelzer's pass. He hit his third goal of the night on 85 minutes when Erik Durm's run and cross from the right handed him a simple tap-in. (AFP)

Aubameyang scores hat-trick to help Dortmund flip deficit against Benfica

Benfica made Borussia Dortmund pay for missing a host of chances, as the Portuguese side snatched a 1-0 win in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday thanks to forward Kostas Mitroglou&#39;s 13th goal in his last 13 games.

Greece international Mitroglou flicked the ball into the net to open the scoring in the 48th minute and Benfica then held on against their misfiring opponents to take a slender lead into the second leg in Dortmund on March 8.

Benfica, who have now not conceded a goal at home for 383 minutes, kept another clean sheet thanks largely to keeper Ederson, who denied the Germans with a string of superb saves.

Dortmund, who had netted a record 21 times in the group stage, missed a second-half penalty through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who also squandered several other scoring chances on a night to forget for the Gabon striker.

&quot;We ended up scoring a goal in a situation we had been working for,&quot; said Benfica coach Rui Vitoria. &quot;In order to play such teams one has to be prepared to suffer at the limit. We had our problems getting out of our own half to attack.

&quot;Now we know what we have to do in the return leg. Scoring a goal there will have a huge impact,&quot; the Portuguese said.

Benfica, who had striker Jonas ruled out through injury just before kickoff, got off to an explosive start but Dortmund began to dominate possession and gradually slowed the game down.

The visitors, looking to counter their lacklustre domestic form with European success, missed a huge chance when Aubameyang, the Bundesliga&#39;s leading scorer, fired over the bar after an outstanding through ball from Ousmane Dembele in the 10th minute.

Benfica captain Luisao was making his 500th club appearance and was kept busy at the heart of the Benfica defence, with Dembele sneaking into the box and forcing a superb save from keeper Ederson in the 23rd.

Aubameyang then missed another good opportunity before the break and Benfica were quick out of the blocks again after the restart with Mitroglou doing well to control a Luisao header and then beating keeper Roman Buerki from close range.

Aubameyang almost drew Dortmund level in the 53rd and then had a penalty, awarded for a handball on the hour, saved by Benfica&#39;s Brazilian keeper.

Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel put Aubameyang out of his misery by substituting him soon after and following a sensational save from Ederson with six minutes left, the hosts held on to celebrate the victory.

(Reuters)

The Portuguese side snatched a 1-0 win in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday thanks to forward Kostas Mitroglou's 13th goal

Benfica made Borussia Dortmund pay for missing a host of chances, as the Portuguese side snatched a 1-0 win in their Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday thanks to forward Kostas Mitroglou's 13th goal in his last 13 games. Greece international Mitroglou flicked the ball into the net to open the scoring in the 48th minute and Benfica then held on against their misfiring opponents to take a slender lead into the second leg in Dortmund on March 8. Benfica, who have now not conceded a goal at home for 383 minutes, kept another clean sheet thanks largely to keeper Ederson, who denied the Germans with a string of superb saves. Dortmund, who had netted a record 21 times in the group stage, missed a second-half penalty through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who also squandered several other scoring chances on a night to forget for the Gabon striker. "We ended up scoring a goal in a situation we had been working for," said Benfica coach Rui Vitoria. "In order to play such teams one has to be prepared to suffer at the limit. We had our problems getting out of our own half to attack. "Now we know what we have to do in the return leg. Scoring a goal there will have a huge impact," the Portuguese said. Benfica, who had striker Jonas ruled out through injury just before kickoff, got off to an explosive start but Dortmund began to dominate possession and gradually slowed the game down. The visitors, looking to counter their lacklustre domestic form with European success, missed a huge chance when Aubameyang, the Bundesliga's leading scorer, fired over the bar after an outstanding through ball from Ousmane Dembele in the 10th minute. Benfica captain Luisao was making his 500th club appearance and was kept busy at the heart of the Benfica defence, with Dembele sneaking into the box and forcing a superb save from keeper Ederson in the 23rd. Aubameyang then missed another good opportunity before the break and Benfica were quick out of the blocks again after the restart with Mitroglou doing well to control a Luisao header and then beating keeper Roman Buerki from close range. Aubameyang almost drew Dortmund level in the 53rd and then had a penalty, awarded for a handball on the hour, saved by Benfica's Brazilian keeper. Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel put Aubameyang out of his misery by substituting him soon after and following a sensational save from Ederson with six minutes left, the hosts held on to celebrate the victory. (Reuters)

Champions League: Benfica beat wasteful Dortmund as Mitroglou scores again

Flu-hit RB Leipzig failed to capitalise on Bayern Munich&#39;s draw against Schalke as they lost to Borussia Dortmund 1-0 on Saturday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang&#39;s 17th goal of the season -- two more than Bayern&#39;s Lewandowski in the top goal-scorer chart in the Bundesliga -- meant Dortmund shot four places to go third in the Bundesliga standings.

Leipzig&#39;s loss mean at Dortmund that Bayern have now stretched their lead to four points, despite the sluggish performance they put on against Schalke.

Bayern started the match brightly, with their captain Philipp Lahm making his 500th appearance for the club. Bayern took the lead in the ninth minute, thanks to Lewandowski, but were then made to work hard to retain their lead.

But Schalke kept their composure and equalised four minutes later when Naldo hammered a free-kick past Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

It completed the scoring, but both sides squandered clear first-half chances as Schalke striker Guido Burgstaller hit the crossbar, just like Lewandowski did at the other end.

Over in the Leipzig-Dortmund match, there was drama in added time as Leipzig sub Federico Palacios Martinez, making his Bundesliga debut, put the ball in Dortmund&#39;s net, but was flagged for a marginal offside.

Leipzig struggled without top-scorer Timo Werner, midfielder Diego Demme and striker Marcel Sabitzer, who all have flu, while playmaker Emil Forsberg was suspended.

&quot;We won the game, that&#39;s what counts,&quot; a relieved Reus told Sky.

&quot;We put up a good fight, it was a very aggressive game and the win is okay.&quot;

Hertha moved up to fifth with a 1-0 win at home to strugglers Ingolstadt as Japan midfielder Genki Haraguchi scored the winner after just a minute at Berlin&#39;s Olympic Stadium.

Cologne are sixth following their 1-0 win at Wolfsburg thanks to Anthony Modeste&#39;s second-half penalty, having been fouled by Wolves goalkeeper Diego Benaglio in the area.

Borussia Moenchengladbach picked up their second straight win with a 3-0 victory at home to Freiburg courtesy of goals from captain Lars Stindl, striker Raffael and winger Patrick Herrmann to go tenth.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Bayern could only muster a draw against Schalke but Dortmund's 1-0 win over second-placed Leipzig means they are four points clear

Flu-hit RB Leipzig failed to capitalise on Bayern Munich's draw against Schalke as they lost to Borussia Dortmund 1-0 on Saturday. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's 17th goal of the season -- two more than Bayern's Lewandowski in the top goal-scorer chart in the Bundesliga -- meant Dortmund shot four places to go third in the Bundesliga standings. Leipzig's loss mean at Dortmund that Bayern have now stretched their lead to four points, despite the sluggish performance they put on against Schalke. Bayern started the match brightly, with their captain Philipp Lahm making his 500th appearance for the club. Bayern took the lead in the ninth minute, thanks to Lewandowski, but were then made to work hard to retain their lead. But Schalke kept their composure and equalised four minutes later when Naldo hammered a free-kick past Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. It completed the scoring, but both sides squandered clear first-half chances as Schalke striker Guido Burgstaller hit the crossbar, just like Lewandowski did at the other end. Over in the Leipzig-Dortmund match, there was drama in added time as Leipzig sub Federico Palacios Martinez, making his Bundesliga debut, put the ball in Dortmund's net, but was flagged for a marginal offside. Leipzig struggled without top-scorer Timo Werner, midfielder Diego Demme and striker Marcel Sabitzer, who all have flu, while playmaker Emil Forsberg was suspended. "We won the game, that's what counts," a relieved Reus told Sky. "We put up a good fight, it was a very aggressive game and the win is okay." Hertha moved up to fifth with a 1-0 win at home to strugglers Ingolstadt as Japan midfielder Genki Haraguchi scored the winner after just a minute at Berlin's Olympic Stadium. Cologne are sixth following their 1-0 win at Wolfsburg thanks to Anthony Modeste's second-half penalty, having been fouled by Wolves goalkeeper Diego Benaglio in the area. Borussia Moenchengladbach picked up their second straight win with a 3-0 victory at home to Freiburg courtesy of goals from captain Lars Stindl, striker Raffael and winger Patrick Herrmann to go tenth. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Bayern Munich sluggish but stretch lead as Leipzig fall to Dortmund

Leicester&nbsp;kept their Champions League dreams aflame Tuesday, cruising into the last 16 with a 2-1 win over Belgium&#39;s Club Brugge, where they were joined by Real Madrid -- but not a crestfallen Tottenham.

Joining the hopeful debutants and the holders on the night were Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco.

They join last year&#39;s runners-up Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who had already booked their tickets to the knockout phase with two group games to spare.

Leicester&#39;s success saw the Foxes advance as Group G winners in their maiden season in the event, giving a major fillip to Claudio Ranieri&#39;s side, who are just two points above the domestic drop zone.

&quot;We&#39;re on another journey. I don&#39;t know where, but we&#39;re excited!&quot; Ranieri said afterwards.

Referring to his side&#39;s poor league form the Italian added: &quot;Maybe we have been more concentrated in the Champions League. Now the group is won, (it is) important to come back in the Premier League.&quot; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Shinji Okazaki netted after just five minutes and a Riyad Mahrez penalty made it 2-0 before Jose Izquierdo notched a second-half consolation for Brugge.

&quot;We wanted to finish first in the group. It wasn&#39;t easy today but we did it,&quot; said Foxes&#39; Algerian star Mahrez.

The Colombian&#39;s strike was the first goal&nbsp;Leicester&nbsp;have conceded in the tournament to date.

As&nbsp;Leicester&nbsp;celebrated, Tottenham in contrast saw their adventure in Europe&#39;s top club competition come to a grinding halt after a 2-1 loss at Monaco, who won Group E in the process.&nbsp;

Spurs had a let off when their French keeper Hugo Lloris saved Radamel Falcao&#39;s early spotkick.

But quickfire goals from Djibril Sidibe and Thomas Lemar just after the break, sandwiching a Harry Kane penalty, did for the Londoners.&nbsp;

In the same group Bayer Leverkusen drew 1-1 at CSKA Moscow to take the Germans into the knockout stages following Spurs&#39; loss.

Kevin Volland put Leverkusen ahead after 16 minutes before Israeli international Bibras Natcho levelled.

Spurs will host CSKA in a final game whose outcome will decide who goes into the Europa League. In any case, &#39;home&#39; advantage at Wembley Stadium has hardly shone on Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s side, given that they succumbed to defeats by Monaco and Leverkusen.

Kane said those games sank them.

&quot;I&#39;m gutted. We wanted to go far but it is something we will have to deal with.

&quot;We will look back and say it was the home games were we should&#39;ve been better,&quot; the striker told BT Sport.

Holders and 11-times winners Real Madrid joined 1997 champions Borussia Dortmund in qualifying from Group F after a 2-1 win at star man Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s former club Sporting Lisbon.

Raphael Varane gave the &#39;meringues&#39; the lead before Adrien Silva netted a spot-kick for the Portuguese only for substitute Karim Benzema to pop up with the winner for Real.

The Spaniards suffered a huge injury scare, however, just 11 days before facing Barcelona in La Liga as Welsh star Gareth Bale exited with an ankle injury shortly after half-time.

&quot;We knew it would be complicated, but we got the three points,&quot; said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, who won the 2002 title as a player for the Spanish giants and then as coach last May.

&quot;When you concede a goal you can think it will be tough but we continued to play and responded and finally had our reward with Karim&#39;s goal,&quot; Zidane told &nbsp;beIn Sports.

Record goalfest

Dortmund secured the group win with a game to play after swatting Poland&#39;s Legia Warsaw 8-4 -- a record goalfest for a Champions League encounter.

The Germans became one of an elite clique to notch five goals in a single Champions League half having led 5-2 at the interval.

Marco Reus scored a hat-trick and Japanese star Shinji Kagawa netted a brace as Dortmund ran riot.

Two-times champions Juventus are through after defeating previous Group H leaders Sevilla, Europa League champions for the past three seasons, 3-1 in Spain.

Claudio Marchisio with a penalty, Leonardo Bonucci and Mario Mandzucic scored for the &#39;Old Lady&#39; of Turin after Nicolas Pareja had put Sevilla ahead early on. &nbsp;

Perennial challengers Barcelona and Manchester City were hoping to book their tickets Wednesday with wins over Celtic and Borussia Moenchengladbach respectively.

(AFP)

Leicester and Real Madrid join last year's runners-up Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern and Dortmund in the next round

Leicester kept their Champions League dreams aflame Tuesday, cruising into the last 16 with a 2-1 win over Belgium's Club Brugge, where they were joined by Real Madrid -- but not a crestfallen Tottenham. Joining the hopeful debutants and the holders on the night were Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco. They join last year's runners-up Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who had already booked their tickets to the knockout phase with two group games to spare. Leicester's success saw the Foxes advance as Group G winners in their maiden season in the event, giving a major fillip to Claudio Ranieri's side, who are just two points above the domestic drop zone. "We're on another journey. I don't know where, but we're excited!" Ranieri said afterwards. Referring to his side's poor league form the Italian added: "Maybe we have been more concentrated in the Champions League. Now the group is won, (it is) important to come back in the Premier League." Shinji Okazaki netted after just five minutes and a Riyad Mahrez penalty made it 2-0 before Jose Izquierdo notched a second-half consolation for Brugge. "We wanted to finish first in the group. It wasn't easy today but we did it," said Foxes' Algerian star Mahrez. The Colombian's strike was the first goal Leicester have conceded in the tournament to date. As Leicester celebrated, Tottenham in contrast saw their adventure in Europe's top club competition come to a grinding halt after a 2-1 loss at Monaco, who won Group E in the process. Spurs had a let off when their French keeper Hugo Lloris saved Radamel Falcao's early spotkick. But quickfire goals from Djibril Sidibe and Thomas Lemar just after the break, sandwiching a Harry Kane penalty, did for the Londoners. In the same group Bayer Leverkusen drew 1-1 at CSKA Moscow to take the Germans into the knockout stages following Spurs' loss. Kevin Volland put Leverkusen ahead after 16 minutes before Israeli international Bibras Natcho levelled. Spurs will host CSKA in a final game whose outcome will decide who goes into the Europa League. In any case, 'home' advantage at Wembley Stadium has hardly shone on Mauricio Pochettino's side, given that they succumbed to defeats by Monaco and Leverkusen. Kane said those games sank them. "I'm gutted. We wanted to go far but it is something we will have to deal with. "We will look back and say it was the home games were we should've been better," the striker told BT Sport. Holders and 11-times winners Real Madrid joined 1997 champions Borussia Dortmund in qualifying from Group F after a 2-1 win at star man Cristiano Ronaldo's former club Sporting Lisbon. Raphael Varane gave the 'meringues' the lead before Adrien Silva netted a spot-kick for the Portuguese only for substitute Karim Benzema to pop up with the winner for Real. The Spaniards suffered a huge injury scare, however, just 11 days before facing Barcelona in La Liga as Welsh star Gareth Bale exited with an ankle injury shortly after half-time. "We knew it would be complicated, but we got the three points," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, who won the 2002 title as a player for the Spanish giants and then as coach last May. "When you concede a goal you can think it will be tough but we continued to play and responded and finally had our reward with Karim's goal," Zidane told beIn Sports. Record goalfest Dortmund secured the group win with a game to play after swatting Poland's Legia Warsaw 8-4 -- a record goalfest for a Champions League encounter. The Germans became one of an elite clique to notch five goals in a single Champions League half having led 5-2 at the interval. Marco Reus scored a hat-trick and Japanese star Shinji Kagawa netted a brace as Dortmund ran riot. Two-times champions Juventus are through after defeating previous Group H leaders Sevilla, Europa League champions for the past three seasons, 3-1 in Spain. Claudio Marchisio with a penalty, Leonardo Bonucci and Mario Mandzucic scored for the 'Old Lady' of Turin after Nicolas Pareja had put Sevilla ahead early on. Perennial challengers Barcelona and Manchester City were hoping to book their tickets Wednesday with wins over Celtic and Borussia Moenchengladbach respectively. (AFP)

Champions League round-up: Leicester continue fairytale run, Real through to last 16

Riyad Mahrez secured another Champions League victory for Leicester City on Tuesday while big boys Real Madrid, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund were also in winning form.

Leicester maintained a perfect record in Group G in their first foray in Europe&#39;s elite club competition by edging FC Copenhagen 1-0 at the King Power Stadium with Mahrez getting the only goal of the game.

Islam Slimani headed down a Jamie Vardy cross for Mahrez to score with a close-range volley with the outside of his left foot five minutes before half-time.

With Porto winning 2-1 away to Club Brugge in the group&#39;s other game, Claudio Ranieri&#39;s side now know a win away to Copenhagen in their next match on November 2 will secure a place in the last 16.

&quot;We&#39;re in a good position now,&quot; said Ranieri.

&quot;We knew it would be tough. Copenhagen tried until the end. It was difficult at the start, but the performance was good.&quot;

In Bruges, Jelle Vossen put the home side in front early on but Miguel Layun lashed in the equaliser midway through the second half and Andre Silva scored a stoppage-time winner from the penalty spot.

For Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas it was a 92nd win in the Champions League, allowing him to surpass Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez and establish a new record.

Leicester&#39;s Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur found themselves hanging on for a point as they claimed a 0-0 draw away to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany in Group E.

A Vincent Janssen header that came back off the bar was the closest Spurs came to scoring at the BayArena.

The home side piled on the pressure in the second half but Javier Hernandez was denied by a brilliant save on the line by Hugo Lloris and Stefan Kiessling missed a great chance late on.

&quot;We can be pleased with the point,&quot; said Lloris.

&quot;The game turned in the second half, Leverkusen pressed high and we struggled a bit. I think the draw is a good result for us.&quot;

Just three points separate all four teams in the section, but it is Monaco who are on top after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at CSKA Moscow.

Ivorian striker Lacina Traore, on loan from Monaco, scored against his parent club in the 34th minute but Bernardo Silva equalised for the visitors late on.

Trouble mars Madrid win

Reigning champions Real Madrid cruised to a 5-1 victory at home to Legia Warsaw in Group F after supporter violence marred the build-up to the game at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Five fans and two police officers were treated for minor injuries following clashes outside the stadium before kick-off.

When the game began, Vadis Odjidja struck the post for the visitors before Gareth Bale fired in the opener and a Marcelo shot went in off Tomasz Jodlowiec.

Miroslav Radovic pulled one back from the penalty spot but Marco Asensio made it 3-1 before the interval and substitutes Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Morata added further goals in the second half.

Zinedine Zidane&#39;s side are level on seven points at the top of the group with Borussia Dortmund, who were 2-1 winners over Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang burst through for an early opener and a superb Julian Weigl strike made it 2-0 but Dortmund were hanging on after Bruno Cesar reduced the deficit midway through the second half.

In Group H Juan Cuadrado came off the bench to score a late winner as 10-man Juventus beat Lyon 1-0 in France.

Gianluigi Buffon was in fine form for the Italian champions as he saved a first-half Alexandre Lacazette penalty, while Juve had Mario Lemina sent off early in the second period.

But Cuadrado netted the winner 14 minutes from the end as the hosts failed to make their man advantage count.

&quot;I should thank Mario Lemina for his sending-off because I thought we played better with a man less,&quot; said Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri.

They are level at the top of the group with Sevilla, who were 1-0 winners away to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, Samir Nasri netting the only goal.

(AFP)

Riyad Mahrez helped Leicester win their third straight game while Real Madrid romped to a 4-1 win over Legia Warsaw

Riyad Mahrez secured another Champions League victory for Leicester City on Tuesday while big boys Real Madrid, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund were also in winning form. Leicester maintained a perfect record in Group G in their first foray in Europe's elite club competition by edging FC Copenhagen 1-0 at the King Power Stadium with Mahrez getting the only goal of the game. Islam Slimani headed down a Jamie Vardy cross for Mahrez to score with a close-range volley with the outside of his left foot five minutes before half-time. With Porto winning 2-1 away to Club Brugge in the group's other game, Claudio Ranieri's side now know a win away to Copenhagen in their next match on November 2 will secure a place in the last 16. "We're in a good position now," said Ranieri. "We knew it would be tough. Copenhagen tried until the end. It was difficult at the start, but the performance was good." In Bruges, Jelle Vossen put the home side in front early on but Miguel Layun lashed in the equaliser midway through the second half and Andre Silva scored a stoppage-time winner from the penalty spot. For Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas it was a 92nd win in the Champions League, allowing him to surpass Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez and establish a new record. Leicester's Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur found themselves hanging on for a point as they claimed a 0-0 draw away to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany in Group E. A Vincent Janssen header that came back off the bar was the closest Spurs came to scoring at the BayArena. The home side piled on the pressure in the second half but Javier Hernandez was denied by a brilliant save on the line by Hugo Lloris and Stefan Kiessling missed a great chance late on. "We can be pleased with the point," said Lloris. "The game turned in the second half, Leverkusen pressed high and we struggled a bit. I think the draw is a good result for us." Just three points separate all four teams in the section, but it is Monaco who are on top after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at CSKA Moscow. Ivorian striker Lacina Traore, on loan from Monaco, scored against his parent club in the 34th minute but Bernardo Silva equalised for the visitors late on. Trouble mars Madrid win Reigning champions Real Madrid cruised to a 5-1 victory at home to Legia Warsaw in Group F after supporter violence marred the build-up to the game at the Santiago Bernabeu. Five fans and two police officers were treated for minor injuries following clashes outside the stadium before kick-off. When the game began, Vadis Odjidja struck the post for the visitors before Gareth Bale fired in the opener and a Marcelo shot went in off Tomasz Jodlowiec. Miroslav Radovic pulled one back from the penalty spot but Marco Asensio made it 3-1 before the interval and substitutes Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Morata added further goals in the second half. Zinedine Zidane's side are level on seven points at the top of the group with Borussia Dortmund, who were 2-1 winners over Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang burst through for an early opener and a superb Julian Weigl strike made it 2-0 but Dortmund were hanging on after Bruno Cesar reduced the deficit midway through the second half. In Group H Juan Cuadrado came off the bench to score a late winner as 10-man Juventus beat Lyon 1-0 in France. Gianluigi Buffon was in fine form for the Italian champions as he saved a first-half Alexandre Lacazette penalty, while Juve had Mario Lemina sent off early in the second period. But Cuadrado netted the winner 14 minutes from the end as the hosts failed to make their man advantage count. "I should thank Mario Lemina for his sending-off because I thought we played better with a man less," said Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri. They are level at the top of the group with Sevilla, who were 1-0 winners away to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, Samir Nasri netting the only goal. (AFP)

Champions League: Leicester maintain perfect record; Real, Dortmund post wins

&nbsp;

Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Andre Schuerrle came off the bench to snatch a late goal as they twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Champions League holders Real Madrid in a compelling Group F encounter on Tuesday.

The Germany international lashed the ball high into the net from inside the area to level in the 87th minute after Raphael Varane had restored Real&#39;s advantage in the 68th.

The France defender&#39;s goal made up for an earlier slip that allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to cancel out Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s 17th minute opener towards the end of the first half.

Dortmund and Real each have four points with the Germans top on goal difference, while Sporting Lisbon are third on three points after beating visitors Legia Warsaw 2-0.

&quot;My players played very well and I think we deserved a little more but this is not a bad result,&quot; Real coach Zinedine Zidane told a news conference after a third successive draw following two in la Liga.

&quot;We suffered a little because Dortmund pressed us a lot, although we knew we were coming to a difficult ground against a difficult opponent.

&quot;The annoying thing is we have now drawn three games but we&#39;re going to turn this around. We&#39;re not going to stop.&quot;

Electric Start

The hosts made an electric start at the Westfalenstadion after Ronaldo tested goalkeeper Roman Buerki with an early free-kick as Gonzalo Castro and Aubameyang each shot straight at Real stopper Keylor Navas and Ousmane Dembele fired over.

Just as a Dortmund opener looked inevitable, Real struck from a perfectly executed counter-attack involving Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale which Ronaldo finished off by arrowing the ball into the far corner.

Thomas Tuchel&#39;s side stuck with their game plan of pressing Real high and hitting them with lightning speed, although their equaliser came from a free-kick.

Navas, making his first appearance of the season for Real, weakly punched Raphael Guerreiro&#39;s shot at team mate Varane and the ball trickled towards the goalline where it was helped across by Aubameyang.

The home side kept up the tempo after the break, although Real also grew in confidence.

Bale and Benzema wasted chances before Varane put Zidane&#39;s side ahead again, tapping home after Benzema had crashed a shot against the bar.

Dortmund again raised their game, though, and while Navas turned away two shots from lively substitute Emre Mor, he was powerless to keep out Schuerrle&#39;s rocket.

Dortmund and Real each have four points, while Sporting Lisbon are third on three points after beating visitors Legia Warsaw 2-0

Borussia Dortmund's Andre Schuerrle came off the bench to snatch a late goal as they twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Champions League holders Real Madrid in a compelling Group F encounter on Tuesday. The Germany international lashed the ball high into the net from inside the area to level in the 87th minute after Raphael Varane had restored Real's advantage in the 68th. The France defender's goal made up for an earlier slip that allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to cancel out Cristiano Ronaldo's 17th minute opener towards the end of the first half. Dortmund and Real each have four points with the Germans top on goal difference, while Sporting Lisbon are third on three points after beating visitors Legia Warsaw 2-0. "My players played very well and I think we deserved a little more but this is not a bad result," Real coach Zinedine Zidane told a news conference after a third successive draw following two in la Liga. "We suffered a little because Dortmund pressed us a lot, although we knew we were coming to a difficult ground against a difficult opponent. "The annoying thing is we have now drawn three games but we're going to turn this around. We're not going to stop." Electric Start The hosts made an electric start at the Westfalenstadion after Ronaldo tested goalkeeper Roman Buerki with an early free-kick as Gonzalo Castro and Aubameyang each shot straight at Real stopper Keylor Navas and Ousmane Dembele fired over. Just as a Dortmund opener looked inevitable, Real struck from a perfectly executed counter-attack involving Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale which Ronaldo finished off by arrowing the ball into the far corner. Thomas Tuchel's side stuck with their game plan of pressing Real high and hitting them with lightning speed, although their equaliser came from a free-kick. Navas, making his first appearance of the season for Real, weakly punched Raphael Guerreiro's shot at team mate Varane and the ball trickled towards the goalline where it was helped across by Aubameyang. The home side kept up the tempo after the break, although Real also grew in confidence. Bale and Benzema wasted chances before Varane put Zidane's side ahead again, tapping home after Benzema had crashed a shot against the bar. Dortmund again raised their game, though, and while Navas turned away two shots from lively substitute Emre Mor, he was powerless to keep out Schuerrle's rocket.

Dortmund's Schuerrle denies Real Madrid victory in thriller Champions League match

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