• Friday, 27 December 2024
Luuk de Jong rescues PSV draw against Borussia Dortmund after Malen opener

Luuk de Jong rescues PSV draw against Borussia Dortmund after Malen opener

Luuk de Jong's coolly converted penalty earned PSV Eindhoven a draw against Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

The Dutch striker equalised 10 minutes into the second half after Mats Hummels was adjudged to have fouled Malik Tillman in the box.

Donyell Malen had put Dortmund ahead in the first half when his deflected shot flew in off the crossbar.

The second leg is in Dortmund on 13 March.

PSV had the better of the chances early on in what was an open first half but failed to capitalise. Tillman spurned the best of them when he dragged his shot wide from De Jong's clever flick.

They were made to pay when Malen, who moved from PSV to Dortmund in the summer of 2021, collected the ball on the edge of the box, burst past a defender to create space and unleashed a fierce strike that took a deflection and cannoned in off the underside of the bar.

It was Malen's first Champions League goal since 2021 and the first ever by a Dutch player against a Dutch side in the knockout stages of the competition.

The home side pushed for an equaliser and Johan Bakayoko passed up another good chance when he scuffed his shot wide from Hirving Lozano's cross before the break.

Peter Bosz's hosts were on the front foot again at the start of the second half and when Hummels brought down Tillman, despite the defender's protestations that he got the ball, De Jong brought them level from 12 yards.

PSV looked the more likely to find a winner in their first Champions League knockout game since 2015-16 but had to settle for a draw that extends their unbeaten home run to 31 games.

However, Edin Terzic's Dortmund also have a strong home record - they have not lost at Signal Iduna Park in this competition since November 2021 - and will hope a performance in line with that record sees them through the second leg next month.

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