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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Borussia Dortmund v Manchester City, Champions League

We went minute-by-minute as the Champions League group stage reaches its conclusion.

SURE, IT MAY not be the knife-edge finish that UEFA (and probably Roberto Mancini) would have hoped for, but it’s bound to be another intriguing night of European football and we’ll keep you abreast of the major events in all eight games tonight.

As always, we’d love you to get in contact, so send us your thoughts by emailing Sean@TheScore.ie, via Twitter@thescore_iefind us on Facebook, or leave a comment below.

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Dinamo Zagreb 0 – 1 Dynamo Kiev

Paris St Germain 2 – 1 FC Porto

Montpellier 1 – 1 Schalke 04

Olympiakos 2 – 1 Arsenal

AC Milan 0 – 1 Zenit

Malaga 2 -2 Anderlecht

Borussia Dortmund  1 – 0 Manchester City

Real Madrid 4 – 1 Ajax

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, the teams are on the pitch so we’ve just enough time to tell you who is who before we bring the curtain down on the Champions League’s group of death.

Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller, Kirch, Hummels, Felipe Santana, Schmelzer, Grosskreutz, Gundogan, Leitner, Reus, Perisic, Schieber.

Subs: Langerak, Lewandowski, Blaszczykowski, Piszczek, Amini, Gunter, Bittencourt.

Man City: Hart, Maicon, Kompany, Lescott, Nastasic, Barry, Javi Garcia, Nasri, Tevez, Sinclair, Dzeko.

Subs: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Aguero, Nimely, Balotelli, Meppen-Walter, Evans.

KICK OFF: We’re under way in Dortmund and an early i-swinger from Gareth Barry is headed behind by Grosskreutz. The resulting corner is also headed clear by the German defence before Edin Dzeko can connect.

City are able to pick up the scraps and will attack again.

This may be a greatly weakened Dortmund side, but after that initial period of pressure from City, they have settled into the familiar, smooth passing rhythm and look threatening with Reus on the ball.

We’re still goalless elsewhere on the continent. Arsenal, who have left the majority of their senior players at home (starting XI below) have looked threatening in the early stages with Oxlade-Chamberlain, Chamakh and Gervinho in attack.

Arsenal: Szczesny, Jenkinson, Squillaci, Vermaelen, Meade, Coquelin, Rosicky, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Chamakh, Gervinho.

Just a small hint of the game opening up here as Tevez runs at Hummels and slips a nice, delicate pass through to Dzeko. The Bosnian is offside and the home side instantly find space on the right side counter attack.

Kompany snuffs out the danger.

JOE HART ALERT: He’s made a save.

The shot was weak from the edge of the area and straight at his head, but we’re sure the travelling scribes will drool over it none-the-less. He is, after all, “world class” in everything he does.

GOAL: Real Madrid 1 – 0 Ajax (Ronaldo ’15)

Good news for City in their quest to qualify for the Europa League… and in other news; kick off in the battle of the Dynamos has been delayed due to bad weather. Pfft, tell us about it.

Aaron Ramsey really, really should have put Arsenal ahead in Greece.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross was met by Chamakh and headed down to the Welshman’s feet, or at least to his shins, and his touch allowed the ball bobble wide.

A lovely passing move from City ends with Nasri threading a ball for Dzeko to chase into the box. He squared the ball across goal with Tevez lurking, but the Argentine was well-marked and the hosts clear for a corner which they deal with easily.

30 minutes: After beginning this game looking intent to take no more than a draw, Dortmund and their crowd are finally warming to the task.

Javi Garcia is booked after laying hands on Perisic as he broke down the left wing.

Sky commentator Martin Tyler broaches the subject of whether City actually want Europa League football. He quickly retreats to the line “of course there is money to be won by winning Champions League group games…”

Yes, City are clearly living hand to mouth having not won a game in the big cup this year.

As Dzeko tests the ‘keeper with a long-range strike dipping towards the bottom corner we hear news of more wonderful goals in the Spanish capital.

GOAL: Real Madrid 2 – 0 Ajax (Callejon ’30)

Brilliant play from Reus, the first time he has really shown what he’s capable of. Nastasic failed to clear and the play-maker cut in off the right wing and drove a stinging shot at Hart’s bottom left-hand corner. Good save.

GOAL: Olympiakos 0 – 1 Arsenal (Rosicky ’38)

Whoa, what’s going on in Paris?

LATEST: PSG 1 -1 Porto

Thiago Silva gave Europe’s newest superpowers the lead after 29 minutes, but Jackson Martinez drew the Portugesers level just four minutes later.

The resplendent yellow shirts were flooding forward, but Perisic’s final ball blows the counter-attack, he but he comes close to making amends with a decent 30-yard half volley which tests Hart.

Here come the whistles…

HALF TIMES:

Paris St Germain 1 – 1 FC Porto

Montpellier 0 – 0 Schalke 04

Olympiakos 0 – 1 Arsenal

AC Milan 0 – 1 Zenit

Malaga 0 -0 Anderlecht

Borussia Dortmund  0 – 0 Manchester City

Real Madrid 2 – 0 Ajax

The second half is under way and it almost began with a bang for City as Dzeko got on the end of a cross from the left.

From six-yards out, though, he could not manage to put any power into the header and directed straight at the ‘keeper waiting at the near post

And a chance at the other end as Hummels ghosts in unmarked at City’s back post but at full stretch can’t reach the in-swinging free kick before it fizzes wide.

Tremendous technique from Perisic as he takes on a first time volley inside the box and forces hart to tip over the bar at his near post.

After the corner is cleared, Dortmund patiently work the ball before Grosskreuts waltzes through only to find Hart again alive to the danger to his bottom corner.

Incidentally, Dortmund have replaced Reus with Jakub Blaszczykowski at half time. They want to win, but only with one creative influence at a time.

GOAL: Borussia Dortmund 1 – 0 Man City (Schieber ’57)

Terrific cross from the right whipped in by Kirch and Schieber is there sliding into the six-yard box to finish.

Chances at either end since the goal, Scheiber went through one-on-one, but elected to try and chip over Hart who comfortably claimed the shot over his head.

At the other end, Aguero, on as a substitute fed Tevez on the right wing and the Argentine’s cross to his countryman was just cut out by Hummels.

Here comes Mario.

Balotelli is on in place of Dzeko.

GOAL! Olympiakos 1-1 Arsenal  (Maniatis ’65)

As Balotelli draws a horrible, shrieking whistle from the Westallen crowd, Tevez somehow bounces the ball through three Dortmund defenders before smashing a shot at the ‘keeper well positioned at the near post.

Pablo Zabaleta has now replaced Nasri… City are on their way out of European competition for this season.

A golden opportunity missed by the hosts as they again probe down the right. From the by-line the ball is pulled back for Leitner at the near post, but he can only stab it dead straight and off target,

The German champions are toying with their English counterparts, moments after Lewandowski smashes a shot to the face of Joe Hart, he’s in again, but seems intent on taking an extra touch every time to work the ball onto his left boot.

With the angle gone, he cuts back on the byline and tries to feed Perisic, who in turn cuts back and lofts a cross to nobody in particular at the back post.

This one slipped by us a few minutes back

Olympiakos 2-1 Arsenal – (Kostas Mitroglou ’73)

We’re into stoppage time and City are probing with no great urgency. Aguero, stung the ‘keepers hands with a left foot strike, but as we enter injury time, they can have absolutely no complaints with this result.

Indeed, with the Champions league long gone, they’ll be happy to be without the Europa League distraction in 2013..

FULL-TIME:  Olympiakos 2-1 Arsenal

There it is, defeat for the young guns in Greece.

FULL TIME: Borussia Dortmund 1 – 0 Man City

It’s all over in Germany, City players can look forward to many a midweek evening in over the coming six months.

Well, that’s it from me for tonight’s liveblog folks. It’s brought another embarrassing exit for Manchester City and a second-place finish for Arsenal.

We’ll have a full round-up of all eight of tonight’s games coming up, including that delayed kick off in Zagreb.

All the other games have reached full time, so… G’night and safe home.

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