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Dortmund logo
Europa League | Quarter-Finals
Apr 7, 2016 at 8.05pm UK
 
Liverpool logo

1-1

Hummels (48')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Origi (36')

Live Commentary: Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Liverpool - as it happened

Relive the 1-1 draw between Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp's return to the Westfalenstadion ends all square.
2

Jurgen Klopp's return to the Westfalenstadion ended in a draw this evening as his Liverpool side held Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.

The visitors took the lead against the tournament favourites when Divock Origi's shot deflected in with just nine minutes remaining of the first half.

Mats Hummels levelled things up in the opening stages of the second half, but Dortmund struggled to find another way through Liverpool as the Reds held out for a 1-1 draw to take back to Anfield.

Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.


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Good evening! What an occasion we have in store for you tonight as Borussia Dortmund host Liverpool in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final - aka the Jurgen Klopp derby! All eyes will be on the German manager in the build-up to this match, but it is matters on the field that will take prevalence over the two legs as these two sides do battle for a place in the semi-finals of the competition. First things first, let's take a look at the two teams...

DORTMUND STARTING XI: Weidenfeller; Piszczek, Bender, Hummels, Schmelzer; Castro, Weigl, Durm, Mkhitaryan, Reus; Aubameyang

DORTMUND SUBS: Bürki, Sahin, Ginter, Leitner, Pulisic, Sokratis, Kagawa

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno; Henderson, Can, Milner, Lallana, Coutinho; Origi

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Ward, Toure, Smith, Allen, Ibe, Firmino, Sturridge

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, as far as the hosts are concerned, their main danger will come from striker Patrick-Emerick Aubameyang, who has been in scintillating form for Dortmund this season. He has 36 goals to his name already, including 10 in this competition since Dortmund entered it in the third qualifying round. There has been speculation linking him with a move to the Premier League in the summer, and this is another chance for him to show exactly what he is capable of.

Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League on March 10, 2016© AFP


The striker is by no means Dortmund's only attacking threat, though, and Jurgen Klopp will know the dangers that face his side all too well - not least when it comes to Reus. When many of Klopp's best players moved on to Bayern Munich, Reus stuck with Dortmund and he remains a key player for the team under Thomas Tuchel. He has the ability to really hurt the Reds this evening if they afford him too much room, so the likes of Henderson, Can and Milner will have to be extra alert to the danger he poses.

The same, though, applies to Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was linked with Liverpool before completing his switch to Borussia Dortmund. He is another to have been in magnificent form for the club this season, creating and scoring goals for fun so far. His figures could be even better had he not hit the woodwork five times already in this competition alone, which as many as any other club as a whole have managed. He is another who Liverpool will need to keep a very close eye on.

Thomas Tuchel has made two changes to the side that beat Werder Bremen in dramatic fashion at the weekend, and both come in defence. One was expected as captain Mats Hummels returns having been rested at the weekend, replacing Ginter in the side, while there is also a recall for Weidenfeller in goal as Burki drops to the bench. Weidenfeller has been the cup goalkeeper for BVB this season, and Tuchel has kept faith with him once again tonight.

There is no change in the opposite goal as Simon Mignolet is once again named between the sticks, keeping up his record of being one of only four players to have played all 900 minutes from the start of the groups up to the quarter-finals in this competition. Indeed, it is an entirely unchanged back four, with Clyne, Lovren, Sakho and Moreno all retaining their places. That means no room in the side - or indeed the squad - for Martin Skrtel, who still hasn't been able to force his way back in since injury.

The midfield trio of Henderson, Can and Milner also remains the same and, while it may not pose the same goal threat as some of Dortmund's midfielders, those three are crucial to Liverpool's high-tempo, pressing style. Henderson and Milner in particular will run all day for Klopp, while Can has re-established himself in the middle of the park having been utilised as a defender many times under Rodgers. Liverpool's best performances have come when they have been full of energy and pressing off the ball, and much of that drive comes from the three in midfield.

The main question mark for Liverpool in the build-up to this match was whether Roberto Firmino would start, having picked up a hamstring injury against Manchester United in the last round. He has missed two Liverpool games and two Brazil games since, but trained in the build-up to this one and is deemed fit enough for the bench tonight. His compatriot Philippe Coutinho starts again having scored against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, while Lallana also retains his place in attack.

Klopp has made just the one change to the side that drew with Spurs, and it is a surprise one up front. Reports earlier today suggested that he was considering dropping Sturridge, and they have proved to be accurate as the England international starts the match on the bench this evening. With Benteke still sidelined, Divock Origi comes in for Sturridge, which is a huge show of faith from Klopp in the Belgian. It is an interesting call to say the least, but Liverpool do at least have Sturridge in reserve should they find themselves needing a goal in this one.

Liverpool's Belgian striker Daniel Origi celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal during the English League Cup quarter-final football match between Southampton and Liverpool at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on December 2, 2015© Getty Images


Perhaps not the threat at Dortmund were expecting, then, but they may be pleased to see Sturridge only make the bench this evening. Whoever started up front, the hosts were always going to be favourites for this match, and there are a wealth of reasons why they are so fancied. The pressure is on them as favourites for the tournament, but that hasn't put them off so far and in the knockout stages especially they have been very impressive.

Dortmund seem almost invincible at the moment, but that wasn't the case during the group stages as they only managed a second-placed finish behind Krasnodar. They lost their last two group games to end up three points behind the Russian outfit, who were responsible for one of those defeats. Dortmund were also beaten by PAOK, handing the Greek side their only win of the group games, having previously drawn with them in the first meeting. It certainly wasn't the most convincing passage into the last 32.

As a result, Dortmund were handed what appeared to be a trick draw against Porto in the last 32, but they made short work of the Portuguese outfit. They won both legs without conceding a goal, going through 3-0 on aggregate to set up a last-16 showdown with Tottenham Hotspur. The Premier League title chasers were no match for Dortmund either, though, with a 3-0 win for the Germans in the home first leg all but killing the tie off straight away. They still won the second leg 2-1 at White Hart Lane for good measure, though, and they will be hoping to make another difficult tie look just as easy against Liverpool.

Those four knockout wins have contributed to some magnificent form for Dortmund since the turn of the year, with Thomas Tuchel's side still unbeaten in 2016. They have played 14 games so far this year and have won 14 of those, with only the other two teams in the Bundesliga's top three - Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin - avoiding defeat in that time. They have won each of their last five outings and 12 of their last 13, with the only side to salvage a draw in that time being Bayern.

Their unbeaten streak looked in danger of ending for a moment at the weekend, with Werder Bremen coming from behind with two goals in five minutes to lead Dortmund here at the Westfalenstadion. However, it took even less time for Dortmund to hit back, with Kagawa levelling things up in the 77th minute before Ramos sealed the win five minutes later. It was a dramatic victory for the home side, and an important one in the Bundesliga title race too.

It also added to their impressive recent home form, which has seen Dortmund win eight and draw one of their last nine games in front of their own fans - Bayern again being the only visiting team to avoid defeat in that time. That run stretches back to the last match of the Europa League group stages when they were shocked by PAOK, which remains their only home defeat of the season in all competitions, and their only defeat in their last 27 home outings including the tail end of last term. They have won an incredible 24 of those 27 matches, while in their 22 home outings this season they have scored 69 goals at an average of more than three per game.

Dortmund are one of only two teams to have made it all the way to the quarter-finals after starting in the third qualifying round, while they have won more games than anyone else along the way. Six of those victories have come in their seven Europa League home games this season, with the exception being that defeat to PAOK, and once again they have been on the goal trail in the process. They have scored 23 goals in those seven outings, averaging 3-3 per game.

It is easy to see why they are favourites for the competition this season, then, and Thomas Tuchel has done a very good job of filling the large shoes left by Jurgen Klopp. His side are challenging on all fronts this season, having reached the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal and pushing Bayern all the way in the Bundesliga. They are currently five points behind Pep Guardiola's side with only six games remaining, so it looks as though they may fall a bit short, but they have at least kept touch with them in a two-horse race at the top, with Hertha Berlin 19 points behind in third.

Liverpool are far from matching those boasts on the domestic scene this season, with inconsistency plaguing their campaign and leaving them in danger of their lowest finish since before Bill Shankly arrived at the club in 1959. They currently sit ninth in the standings, a full 24 points adrift of leaders Leicester City and nine short of the Champions League places.

Liverpool do have at least one game in hand over the teams above them in the table, but it is a huge ask for them to make up a nine-point gap on Manchester City over the closing stages of the season, particularly with the likes of Manchester United and West Ham better placed than the Reds to capitalise should City slip up over the coming weeks. It may be, then, that their best bet of qualifying for next season's Champions League comes by winning the Europa League this term, although that will be no mean feat either with Dortmund standing in their way here.

Liverpool come into this match without a win in their last three outings in all competitions, although their performances recently have brought cause for more optimism. There have been blips - most notably when they let a two-goal lead slip in the final half an hour against Southampton to lose 3-2, but there has been an increasing level of consistency over the last couple of months and, while a three-match winless streak doesn't sound good compared to Dortmund's form coming into this match, the two draws - against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur - were fairly satisfactory ones.

That defeat to Southampton is actually Liverpool's only loss inside 90 minutes from their last 12 outings, although that run does include an extra-time FA Cup defeat at the hands of West Ham United and losing the League Cup final on penalties to Manchester City. Even so, they do seem to be becoming a tougher team to beat under Klopp now, and they would be pretty pleased if they were merely able to avoid defeat this evening.

They are one of only three unbeaten teams remaining in this competition, and one of only two who qualified via the Europa League group stages rather than coming out of the Champions League. That 10-game unbeaten streak does include six draws, however, and while that would certainly be a satisfactory result this evening, they will need to start being more decisive and winning games if they are to go all of the way in this season's competition.

They weren't particularly convincing in the group stages as they edged Sion to top spot by one points, scoring only six goals along the way. It was more of the same against Augsburg when they drew the first leg 0-0 in Germany before James Milner's early penalty at Anfield was enough to see them through 1-0 on aggregate. Things got a little more interesting when they were drawn against bitter domestic rivals Manchester United in the last 16, though, and sure enough they produced their best European performance of the season on their way to a 2-0 first-leg win. That proved too much for United to recover from, and a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford saw Liverpool through to this stage of the competition.

That was one of four away draws they have recorded in the Europa League this season, with only one win on the road to their name - a 1-0 triumph over Rubin Kazan in November. Their away games don't tend to provide many goals either, with Liverpool scoring only three times in those five games and conceding just twice. In all competitions they have only lost one of their last five away games, but have also only won five of their last 15, losing six of those in a run that stretches back to that 6-1 League Cup win over Southampton in December.

The Reds came up against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, and the match lived up to its billing as a good, open and entertaining game. Liverpool took the lead through Philippe Coutinho in the second half, only for Harry Kane to hit back with a clinical finish and rescue a point for his side that didn't do for either Tottenham's title hopes or Liverpool's Champions League ambitions. Both Manchester clubs won to see Liverpool lose ground, so while the performance had plenty to be positive about, the result was not good enough in the end.

PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Signal Iduna Park, which means that it is time for a prediction! This is all about which Liverpool turn up, and whether Klopp has any tricks up his sleeves against his former employers. Should the visitors play at their best then they should be able to give Dortmund a good game, but anything less and they could find themselves in a similar position to Spurs - all but out of the tie after the first leg. Either way, Dortmund should pick up the victory, but I'm backing Liverpool to still be in the tie after a 2-1 win for the Germans.

All of the attention has, understandably, been on Jurgen Klopp in the build-up to this match, though. He was adored at Dortmund having restored them to a major European force during his seven years in charge, winning back-to-back Bundesliga titles and taking them agonisingly close to Champions League glory, only to go down to a late winner from Arjen Robben in the all-German final against Bayern. Klopp took charge of more than 300 games during his spell here, and while the vast majority inside the ground will be willing him to lose tonight, he is still very fondly remembered here.

Jurgen Klopp is young, free and single during the Europa League game between Liverpool and Manchester United on March 10, 2016© Getty Images


These two clubs have only ever met three times before, and the record is perfectly balanced at one win apiece and one draw. The first meeting between the sides was the most notable, with Dortmund beating Bill Shankly's Liverpool 2-1 in the final of the 1966 Cup Winners' Cup in Glasgow. They also met twice in the 2001-02 Champions League group stages, with the match in Dortmund ending goalless before Liverpool won the return at Anfield 2-0.

As both sets of fans belt out a stirring version of 'You'll Never Walk Alone', the players are almost ready to come out. Liverpool have only won two of their previous 15 away games in Germany, drawing eight and losing five, including a goalless draw against Augsburg in the last 32. Overall their record in 34 games against German opposition stands at 16 wins, 12 draws and six defeats. Dortmund, meanwhile, have only lose one of their previous 10 home games against Premier League opposition, with six wins and three draws, including that 3-0 win over Spurs in the last round.

The players are out, and the atmosphere is absolutely electric inside the Westfalenstadion tonight. We're almost ready to go for what feels like a very special occasion!

KICKOFF: Here we go then! Dortmund get us underway for this mouth-watering clash as they look to show exactly why they are favourites to go all the way and lift the trophy this season.

Interestingly, Liverpool aren't getting in the Dortmund players' faces in these early stages, instead holding their position inside their own half. Their high pressing game is usually so effective, but it looks as though Klopp feels that it is too dangerous against Dortmund.

A risky piece of play from Mignolet early on as he is quickly closed down by Aubameyang. The keeper keeps his cool, though, and beats the striker before then getting the ball clear.

Decent chance for Liverpool to break forward as Coutinho gets beyond Origi. Milner tries to thread the pass through, but it is too heavy for Coutinho and goes all the way through for a goal kick.

Liverpool will be pretty pleased with the start they have made to this match. Dortmund haven't looked too dangerous in the opening exchanges and, while Liverpool haven't threatened either, they would be more than happy with a goalless draw from this one.

YELLOW CARD! Can gets an early booking here for blocking his man off the ball, although it is a little harsh from referee Carlos Velasco that one.

Good chance for Dortmund to break forward as Castro gives it to Aubameyang, who in turn tries to slip a pass to Mkhitaryan. However, he puts too much on it and Liverpool are able to clear when they were outnumbered at the back.

Again, nearly a chance for Dortmund as Hummels drives out of defence and threads a pass through to Mkhitaryan. The attacker very nearly takes it under his spell, but he can't control it and the ball runs through to Mignolet.

It hasn't been the start I expected here, it must be said. The match is being played at a slower tempo than I thought it would, which is mostly down to Liverpool making things difficult for the home side. Dortmund's control over the game is just beginning to grow at the moment, though.

Milner trips Mkhitaryan on the right side of the field and Dortmund now have a free kick in a very good crossing position...

SHOT! Castro's initial free kick is poor, but Milner can only clear it as far as Reus, who takes a touch on the edge of the box before dragging his shot wide.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Dortmund, but Sakho makes a goal-saving challenge! Dortmund's passing in patient inside the Liverpool half before Schmelzer makes a run down the left flank and is picked out by Weigl's floated pass over the top. The full-back takes it down and pulls it back to Mkhitaryan, who looks certain to score. However, Sakho gets down to make a brilliant block, denying a certain goal.

That is just a warning shot for Liverpool of how quickly Dortmund can hit them. The visitors looked pretty comfortable and organised letting the hosts knock the ball about, but they upped the tempo and suddenly they were in behind the Reds.

CHANCE! Clyne breaks out of defence and drives forward before being brought down by Reus, giving Liverpool a free kick in a good crossing position. Milner puts it into the middle and Lovren finds himself with a golden opportunity, but he plants his header straight at Weidenfeller. Big, big chance for the visitors.

Weidenfeller couldn't hold on to the initial effort there and both Lovren and Lallana went clattering into the keeper, who is feeling the effects now. He has a bit of blood to mop up, but he should be fine to continue.

Weidenfeller is up and ready to carry on, now, while Lovren has had some time to reflect on that miss. It really was a good chance for the defender, and Liverpool may not get many better.

We're nearing the half-hour mark now and Liverpool will be very happy with how this match is panning out. They have been a match for Dortmund so far and look capable of causing the hosts a few problems.

SHOT! Origi does well to win a corner for Liverpool down the left flank and the resulting delivery is only cleared as far as Moreno. The left-back goes for a first-time strike on the half-volley, but drives it a few yards over the crossbar.

SHOT! Sakho fouls Reus to concede a free kick which is just about in shooting range, and sure enough Aubameyang lines up an effort. His shot takes a deflection off the wall on the way through, though, before flying a couple of yards wide.

CHANCE! Again it is Sakho to the rescue for Liverpool! The visitors give the ball away and Dortmund are immediately on the attack, with Aubameyang coming forward down the left. He has Reus free inside the middle, but Sakho blocks the pass behind for a corner.

Good pressing from Coutinho as he prevents Piszczek from taking his time over a short pass from Weidenfeller. It gifts Liverpool an attacking throw-in, but it comes to nothing.

SHOT! Piszczek picks out a good pass to Mkhitaryan in space, and he is able to carry the ball forward right at the heart of the defence. He has a chance to shoot on the edge of the box too, but slips at the crucial moment and drags the shot wide.

SAVE! There is a bit more space opening up for Dortmund now. Again it is Mkhitaryan who carries it forward, skipping past one defender before working it out to Aubameyang. He lines up the shot, but doesn't catch it right and it is fairly simple for Mignolet in the end.

GOAL! Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Liverpool (Divock Origi)

Huge goal for Liverpool as they take the lead at the Westfalenstadion! Henderson flicks the ball on to Origi, who finds himself in a bit of space on the edge of the box. It looks as though the chance may have passed him by momentarily, but he gets a shot away and it takes a slight deflection off Piszczek on its way in!

This wasn't in the script of many people! Liverpool have dealt with Dortmund so well in this match so far, and now crucially have that away goal too. Even two goals for Dortmund now would make this a pretty decent result for Liverpool.

CHANCES! More chances for Liverpool as Clyne drives forward from right-back before feeding a pass in to Lallana. He flicks it back into the path of Clyne, but his effort is blocked and the rebound, which falls to Milner, is also blocked. Important defending from Dortmund there!

This is a concern for Liverpool here as Henderson goes down and needs treatment. He looks like he will be fine to continue, but with his ongoing heel troubles there is always concern over the Liverpool skipper when he goes down.

YELLOW CARD! Lallana goes into the book for a sliding challenge on Schmelzer, and he can have no complaints with that one.

We will have four minutes of added time at the end of this first half.

SAVE! Mignolet is called into action again, but again it is an easy one for the keeper. Durm let fly from around 25 yards out but didn't catch it right and Klopp got down easily to make a routine stop.

CHANCE! Well, Sakho has saved a goal already, and Lovren may have just done the same. It is good football from Dortmund to feed the ball into the feet of Aubameyang, but as he looks to sweep it past Mignolet, Lovren gets a crucial block in to turn it behind for a corner.

CHANCE! The resulting corner drops to Reus at the back post and he turns it towards goal, but Mignolet makes a vital stop to deny the German.

CHANCE! Liverpool have a golden opportunity for a second away goal right at the end of the first half! They win the ball back inside their own half and immediately break forward, with Moreno sliding a pass through to Origi. The Belgian finds himself in on goal with only Weidenfeller to beat, but the keeper stands up well and makes a big, big save.

HALF TIME: Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Liverpool

So far, so good for Liverpool, then. They go into the break with an unexpected lead at the Westfalenstadion having been able to limit the hosts to long-range efforts for the most part. There have been dangerous moments from Dortmund, but they are far short of their best so far tonight and Liverpool will be much the happier team right now.

The goal arrived a little under 10 minutes before the interval when Henderson flicked the ball on to Origi, who collected it before sending a shot off Piszczek and past Weidenfeller. Klopp made a big decision in choosing Origi ahead of Sturridge, and the Belgian justified it with that goal.

Divock Origi celebrates with teammates after scoring the opener during the Europa League quarter-final between Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool on April 7, 2016© AFP


It should probably be 2-0 to Liverpool in truth as they had another golden opportunity right at the end of the half when Origi was sent clean through on goal. Weidenfeller stood up and made himself big, though, and Origi's attempted chip was blocked by the keeper. Lovren has also squandered a clear chance for the visitors when he nodded the ball straight at the keeper, so this has by no means been a smash-and-grab job from Klopp's side.

Dortmund have had chances of their own, though, and it has taken some brilliant pieces of defending to keep Liverpool level at times. Mamadou Sakho made one goal-saving block to deny Mkhitaryan in the 17th minute and was also on hand to block an Aubameyang cross when Reus was free in the middle of the area for what would have been a simple tap-in. Lovren has also been involved, getting a crucial block in to deny Aubameyang right at the end of the half.

Mignolet has been relatively comfortable for the most part tonight, though. He has been well protected by those in front of him, with his only really testing save coming in first-half stoppage time when he denied Reus at the back post. For the most part, though, the Belgian has only been called into routine stops.

KICKOFF: Liverpool get us back underway for this second half, and there are changes at the break for both sides. Henderson has gone off, presumably with an injury, to be replaced by Joe Allen, while Nuri Sahin, who had a loan spell at Liverpool a few seasons ago, is on for Durm.

GOAL! Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Liverpool (Mats Hummels)

It's a perfect start to the second half for Dortmund as they level things up within three minutes of the restart. It stems from a corner as Mkhitaryan collects the ball on the right before swinging a fine ball into the middle. Hummels is unmarked and gets a run on Lallana, towering over the midfielder to plant his header beyond Mignolet.

SHOT! Liverpool look to come up with an immediate response as Origi ducks his way into a shooting position, but his powerful effort swings wide of the target.

SAVE! Huge save from Weidenfeller to keep his side level here! It is a really nice move from Liverpool as the ball is fed into the box for Allen, who in turn flicks it back to Lallana, who helps it on one more to Coutinho. The Brazilian has two bites at the cherry, the second of which draws a superb stop from the keeper.

SAVES! Oh my word, Weidenfeller is forced into a flurry of saves in quick succession here! Clyne has a go from range that the keeper parries away to Coutinho, who dips inside his man before powering another strike towards goal that draws another stop!

YELLOW CARD! Reus picked up a yellow card after that flurry of action, while Weidenfeller also got one right at the end of the first half after denying Origi.

Klopp will be delighted with how his side have responded to that equaliser. They are looking the more likely to score right now and don't seem to be settling for just a 1-1 draw.

Can lines up a go from range, but his powerful drive goes a long way high and wide of the target.

SAVE! Decent passing move from Dortmund as they begin to get a bit of control back. Sahin comes forward with the ball and gets a shot away, but he doesn't catch it well and it is another simple one for Mignolet.

Lovren trips Schmelzer on the edge of the area, and this is a golden opportunity for Dortmund now. Free kick in a very good position...

SAVE! Reus goes for goal and gets it over the wall and back down in time, but it is fairly central and Mignolet is able to hold on to it.

We have just under half an hour left in this match now, and at the moment it is Liverpool who will be the happier of the two teams. It could be even better for the visitors in truth, but they would certainly have taken a 1-1 draw before the game.

Dangerous build-up play from Dortmund as Hummels pings a great pass into the box which is flicked back inside for Reus. He tries to dink it over Sakho and collect it on the other side, but the Liverpool defender makes another important interception.

This match is being played at a relatively slow tempo at the moment, which you'd have to think suits Liverpool more. If they can let this game just peter out for a 1-1 draw then they will have the advantage to take back to Anfield.

More good, patient passing from Dortmund inside the Liverpool half. They always carry a lingering threat, but Liverpool are looking really organised at the moment and are proving very tough to break down. Sakho and Lovren have both been excellent tonight.

Origi is another who has been impressive tonight. He seems to have the beating of the two defenders for pace and athleticism, and every time he gets the ball he seems to be able to either hold it up and put the Dortmund defence under pressure.

Just over 15 minutes left for Liverpool to hold out now for what would be a very good result. I'd expect them to drop further and further back as the match progresses, though, so there is bound to be some late pressure to come from the hosts.

Another free kick for Dortmund in a good position here as Lallana is penalised. Up lumbers Hummels from the back once again...

Castro lifts it into the middle, but Lovren is there to clear the danger as Liverpool repel another Dortmund attack.

DORTMUND SUBS: Double change for Dortmund here as Bender is replaced by Sokratis, while Aubameyang is replaced by Christian Pulisic.

LIVERPOOL SUB: Liverpool respond with a change of their own, and it is a return to action for Roberto Firmino as he replaces Lallana.

A risky, and above all needless challenge from Moreno as he leaves the ground when diving in with the ball on Dortmund's own byline. He is a booking away from a suspension, and he couldn't have had many complaints if that led to a yellow.

YELLOW CARD! Speaking of yellow cards, Sokratis goes into the book for a trip on Origi.

Schmelzer comes forward down the left flank, as he has done all evening, and his low ball into the box causes a bit of panic before Milner finally hacks it clear. Nervy times for Liverpool here.

LIVERPOOL SUB: The visitors make their third and final change as Origi goes off after an important contribution, being replaced by Daniel Sturridge.

Time continues to tick away for Dortmund to get a winner here. Liverpool will be delighted with how this match has gone, with the exception of what was a fairly soft equaliser, but they must now keep their concentration in the closing stages.

There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this match.

FULL TIME: Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Liverpool

The referee brings an end to the match as Liverpool successfully see out the final half an hour with minimum fuss to pick up a very respectable 1-1 draw on Jurgen Klopp's return to the Westfalenstadion. It could have been even better for the visitors, who had their chances, but a draw and an away goal is as good as many of the travelling fans would have hoped to see heading into this match. Origi gave Liverpool the lead nine minutes before half time, and Mats Hummels levelled things up early in the second half to ensure a share of the spoils in this first leg.

That is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's Europa League clash as Jurgen Klopp picks up a draw on his return to Borussia Dortmund to give Liverpool a slender advantage at the halfway stage of their quarter-final. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!

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20Fenerbahce41215
21Elfsborg41124
22Braga41124
23Porto41124
24Slavia Prague41124
25Real Sociedad41124
26Malmo41033
27FC Twente40313
28Qarabag41033
29Union SG40222
30Nice40222
31RFS40222
32Ludogorets40131
33PAOK40131
34Athletic Club00000
35M. Tel Aviv40040
36Dynamo Kiev40040


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Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!