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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put his first-leg
horror show behind him, netting a hat-trick as Borussia Dortmund secured
a 4-0 win over Benfica to progress to the quarter-finals of the
Champions League.
A
hat-trick from the striker and a goal and an assist from the teenager
sent the German side into the Champions League quarter-finals.The Gabon international missed a penalty and two more gilt-edged
chances as Thomas Tuchel’s side lost 1-0 in Portugal three weeks prior,
but they made light work of Wednesday’s return back on home turf.Visiting coach Rui Vitoria had expected an onslaught and that was
exactly what Dortmund provided, despite the absence of Marco Reus
through injury, as Aubameyang nodded an early opener.While Benfica stood firm for the remainder of the first half,
Christian Pulisic, having assisted the first goal, doubled Dortmund’s
lead to take control of the tie with just over half an hour remaining.And Aubameyang, who had never previously scored in the tournament’s
knockout stages, added his second of the game just two minutes later,
before completing his treble five minutes from the end.Dortmund can now look ahead to the last eight of the competition and
the writing was seemingly on the wall after it took Aubameyang just four
minutes to banish memories of a nightmare first leg and draw Dortmund
level.
Ousmane Dembele delivered a corner from the right for Pulisic to
flick a header towards the far post, where Aubameyang was left unmarked
to nod into the net.The hosts were clearly in the mood as Dembele bent a shot wide from
an Aubameyang-powered counter-attack, but Benfica responded with Franco
Cervi striking low into the arms of Roman Burki.Luisao then nodded straight at the Dortmund goalkeeper, before Pulisic tested Ederson with a header of his own at the other end.Cervi had another opportunity to score shortly after half-time, but
Lukasz Piszczek recovered to make a magnificent block after slicing a
clearance straight to the visiting winger.Dortmund’s best moments, meanwhile, were coming from set-pieces, with
Aubameyang twice meeting Gonzalo Castro free-kicks to volley wide and
then, from an offside position, straight at the sprawling Ederson.Those efforts started to pile the pressure on the away defence, though, and their resistance was soon broken.Ederson blocked brilliantly from Aubameyang, but, with Benfica unable
to fully get the ball clear, an excellent Piszczek pass into the box
found Pulisic, who lifted a phenomenal finish over the advancing keeper
for his first Champions League goal.And, with Vitoria’s men still rocking, Aubameyang then steered Marcel
Schmelzer’s cross past the helpless Ederson from the next attack.Castro volleyed wide and Marc Bartra nodded narrowly off target as
Dortmund kept pushing, with a fourth goal putting the icing on the cake,
Aubameyang converting Erik Durm’s low centre to complete a deserved
hat-trick.
A
hat-trick from the striker and a goal and an assist from the teenager
sent the German side into the Champions League quarter-finals.The Gabon international missed a penalty and two more gilt-edged
chances as Thomas Tuchel’s side lost 1-0 in Portugal three weeks prior,
but they made light work of Wednesday’s return back on home turf.Visiting coach Rui Vitoria had expected an onslaught and that was
exactly what Dortmund provided, despite the absence of Marco Reus
through injury, as Aubameyang nodded an early opener.While Benfica stood firm for the remainder of the first half,
Christian Pulisic, having assisted the first goal, doubled Dortmund’s
lead to take control of the tie with just over half an hour remaining.And Aubameyang, who had never previously scored in the tournament’s
knockout stages, added his second of the game just two minutes later,
before completing his treble five minutes from the end.Dortmund can now look ahead to the last eight of the competition and
the writing was seemingly on the wall after it took Aubameyang just four
minutes to banish memories of a nightmare first leg and draw Dortmund
level.
Ousmane Dembele delivered a corner from the right for Pulisic to
flick a header towards the far post, where Aubameyang was left unmarked
to nod into the net.The hosts were clearly in the mood as Dembele bent a shot wide from
an Aubameyang-powered counter-attack, but Benfica responded with Franco
Cervi striking low into the arms of Roman Burki.Luisao then nodded straight at the Dortmund goalkeeper, before Pulisic tested Ederson with a header of his own at the other end.Cervi had another opportunity to score shortly after half-time, but
Lukasz Piszczek recovered to make a magnificent block after slicing a
clearance straight to the visiting winger.Dortmund’s best moments, meanwhile, were coming from set-pieces, with
Aubameyang twice meeting Gonzalo Castro free-kicks to volley wide and
then, from an offside position, straight at the sprawling Ederson.Those efforts started to pile the pressure on the away defence, though, and their resistance was soon broken.Ederson blocked brilliantly from Aubameyang, but, with Benfica unable
to fully get the ball clear, an excellent Piszczek pass into the box
found Pulisic, who lifted a phenomenal finish over the advancing keeper
for his first Champions League goal.And, with Vitoria’s men still rocking, Aubameyang then steered Marcel
Schmelzer’s cross past the helpless Ederson from the next attack.Castro volleyed wide and Marc Bartra nodded narrowly off target as
Dortmund kept pushing, with a fourth goal putting the icing on the cake,
Aubameyang converting Erik Durm’s low centre to complete a deserved
hat-trick.
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