UEFA Champions League roundup: Borussia Dortmund on the verge of being knocked out

Dortmund, who host Tottenham on Nov. 21 before travelling to Madrid for their final group game, had four shots on goal after only 10 minutes. (Source: Reuters)

Borussia Dortmund managed only a frustrating 1-1 draw at home against APOEL Nicosia in the Champions League on Wednesday to see their hopes of a knockout spot all but evaporate with two matches left in Group H.

Raphael Guerreiro put them ahead in the 29th and the Germans, 2013 finalists, should have scored several more in the first half before APOEL’s Mickael Pote stunned the home crowd with a superb equaliser six minutes after the restart.

The result did neither team a favour with both on two points from four matches, five behind second-placed Real Madrid, who lost to group leaders Tottenham Hotspur.

Dortmund, who host Tottenham on Nov. 21 before travelling to Madrid for their final group game, had four shots on goal after only 10 minutes.

Desperate for their first win in the group that would keep their slim qualification hopes alive, they were in complete control from the start.

APOEL kept plenty of bodies behind the ball and looked to have tamed Dortmund until a defence-splitting pass from Shinji Kagawa on the half hour sent Guerreiro through for the first goal.

Dortmund, who face Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga on Saturday, squandered a bagful of chances through Japan international Kagawa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

They were punished for their wastefulness when Pote turned beautifully in the box and fired in the equaliser in the 51st minute, his second goal against Dortmund after also scoring in their draw in Cyprus.

Despite having more than 70 percent possession and hitting the bar with Aubameyang late in the game the hosts could not find the winner.

Sevilla beat Spartak to rejuvenate last 16 hopes

Sevilla survived a late scare to beat visitors Spartak Moscow 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, avenging their heavy defeat in Russia and getting their last 16 qualification hopes back on track.

French defender Clement Lenglet gave Sevilla a deserved lead after half an hour when he headed home from a corner after the home side had crafted a number of chances in a fast start.

Spartak grew into the game and could have levelled before the break but Argentina midfielder Ever Banega doubled Sevilla’s advantage with a cracking left-footed shot from outside the area on the hour mark.

Spartak pulled a goal back with 13 minutes remaining to make for a nervy finish for Eduardo Berizzo’s side as striker Ze Luis converted on the rebound after Sergio Rico had parried an effort from Denis Glushakov.

Sevilla climbed above Spartak into second in Group E on seven points, two clear of the Russian side with two games remaining and one behind leaders Liverpool, who they play at the Sanchez Pizjuan later in the month.

It was a far more assured performance from Sevilla than in the humiliating 5-1 thrashing they received in the Russian capital two weeks ago, when they collapsed in the second half and shipped four goals.

Spain international Nolito came into the side at the expense of veteran winger Jesus Navas and although he was wasteful in front of goal, the former Manchester City player gave the side an extra edge in attack.

Roared on by a passionate crowd at the Sanchez Pizjuan, where they had been unbeaten in their previous 23 games in all competitions, they could have taken the lead as early as the fourth minute when Banega turned inside the area but fired wide.

Nolito then missed two chances to put Sevilla ahead before Lenglet escaped his marker to head in Banega’s corner, putting the Spaniards on their way to a vital win that will restore their confidence after a nightmare display in Moscow.

Marlos double powers Shakhtar closer to knockout stages

Brazilian-born Ukraine international Marlos scored twice as Shakhtar Donetsk came from behind to beat Feyenoord 3-1 in their Champions League Group F clash at the Metalist Stadium on Wednesday and take a giant step towards the second round.

The victory leaves Shakhtar on nine points from four matches in the pool, three behind leaders Manchester City but six ahead of third-placed Napoli, whom they play next in Naples on Nov. 21. Feyenoord have yet to secure a point.

The Dutch side took an early lead as Nicolai Jorgensen powered home a header but within five minutes their hosts had turned the match on its head as first Facundo Ferreyra equalised and then Marlos added a second with a curling effort from the edge of the box.

Feyenoord tried to play their way back into the game in the second half with a period of concerted pressure but were stung by a fine passing move from Shakhtar that ended with Marlos completing his brace to make the points safe.

Besiktas on verge of last 16 after 1-1 draw with Monaco

Turkey’s Besiktas edged closer to a place in the Champions League last 16 after a pulsating 1-1 home draw with Monaco left them top of Group G with 10 points from four games on Wednesday.

Besiktas will advance to the competition’s knockout stages for the first time with two games to spare if second-placed RB Leipzig, who have four points, beat Porto later.

Porto have three points while French champions Monaco, last season’s semi-finalists, are propping up the group on two and have only a slim chance of avoiding an early exit from Europe’s premier club competition.

Roared on by their fervent fans in the Turkish capital, Besiktas pinned Monaco back from the start but the visitors missed the best two chances before they scored against the run of play on the stroke of halftime.

Rony Lopez silenced the Besiktas faithful when he beat Fabri with a superb curling shot from 20 metres after the home team’s keeper had denied Monaco’s Portuguese striker and Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans.

Besiktas were rewarded for their pressure in the 54th minute as Monaco left back Jorge hauled down Ricardo Quaresma in the penalty area and Cenk Tosun powered his spot-kick past Danijel Subasic.

Monaco nearly regained the lead in the 75th minute when Oguzhan Ozyakup cleared an Andrea Raggi header off the line with the visitors looking dangerous whenever they came forward.

Both sides threw caution to the wind in the last 10 minutes but neither were able to find a winner, with Monaco striker Balde Keita squandering two good opportunities.

The result extended Besiktas’s unbeaten home run in European competition to 12 games, although they fell short of racking up a fifth successive win.

Porto beat Leipzig 3-1 to reach second place in Group G of the Champions League on Wednesday.

Hector Herrera put the Portuguese hosts ahead early in the first half before Timo Werner came off the bench to equalize for Leipzig just after halftime.

Danilo broke the deadlock later in the second half and Maxi Pereira sealed Porto’s victory in injury time.

Porto reached six points from four matches, two points more than Leipzig but four fewer than Besiktas _ held 1-1 by Monaco in Turkey in the group’s other game Wednesday. Last-place Monaco has two points.

Leipzig had beaten Porto 3-2 in Germany.

Porto next plays at Besiktas, while Leipzig is at Monaco.