Football news - Jadon Sancho makes Champions League debut in Dortmund win, Napoli held
ByReuters
Updated 18/09/2018 at 21:47 GMT
Borussia Dortmund's United States forward Christian Pulisic came off the bench to grab a late goal for a 1-0 Champions League Group A victory over Club Brugge on Tuesday.
Borussia Dortmund's Marcel Schmelzer, Jadon Sancho and Axel Witsel celebrate in front of the fans at the end of the match
Image credit: Reuters
A game of few clear-cut chances looked to be heading for a stalemate before Brugge defender Matej Mitrovic’s clearance looped off the outstretched leg of Pulisic and into the net after 85 minutes, a gift on the striker’s 20th birthday.
The German side handed a debut in the competition to 18-year-old Jadon Sancho, the youngest English player to make his bow in the Champions League for a team outside England.
Red Star Belgrade ground out a 0-0 home draw against Napoli on the Serbian side's Champions League debut as their goalkeeper Milan Borjan made a flurry of telling saves in a pulsating Group C clash on Tuesday.
Napoli dominated the opening half and twice went close to taking the lead as Lorenzo Insigne rattled the crossbar and Borjan denied Arkadiusz Milik from close range with a fine reflex save.
Roared on by a fervent 55,000 home crowd, 1991 European Cup winners Red Star were rarely able to get out of their own half but their packed midfield and well-organised defence largely kept Napoli at bay.
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Milan Borjan of Crvena Zvezda in action during the Group C match of the UEFA Champions League between Crvena Zvezda Belgrade and SSC Napoli at Rajko Mitic Stadium on September 18, 2018 in Belgrade, Serbia.
Image credit: Getty Images
Several last-gasp tackles early in the second half kept Red Star afloat and they threatened for the first time in the 58th minute when Napoli keeper David Ospina palmed away a fizzing low shot by halftime substitute Dusan Jovancic.
Borjan smothered a Piotr Zielinski effort shortly afterwards and substitute Dries Mertens shot wide from the edge of the six-yard box as Napoli continued to pile on the pressure with crisp one-touch passing.
A Red Star defender cleared Jose Callejon's shot off the line after another darting raid by the visitors down the left flank, with the home side hanging on desperately.
Schalke 04 marked their return to the Champions League after a three-year absence with a 1-1 draw at home to Porto in their Group D opener on Tuesday to earn some respite after a poor start to the Bundesliga season.
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Breel Embolo of FC Schalke 04 (obscured) celebrates with teammates after he scored his sides first goal during the Group D match of the UEFA Champions League between FC Schalke 04 and FC Porto at Veltins-Arena on September 18, 2018 in Gelsenkirchen, Germ
Image credit: Getty Images
Schalke went into the game having lost all three domestic league matches so far this season but forward Breel Embolo put the hosts ahead in the 64th minute before Otavio levelled with Porto's second penalty of the evening 11 minutes later.
In the other game in Group D, Galatasaray beat Lokomotiv Moscow 3-0, courtesy of strikes from Garry Rodrigues, Eren Derdiyok and Selçuk Inan.
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