Dortmund advance to knockout stage with 2-1 win over Slavia

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group F - Borussia Dortmund v Slavia Prague - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - December 10, 2019 Slavia Prague's Abdullah Yusuf Helal in action REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund beat Slavia Prague 2-1 on Tuesday with goals from Jadon Sancho and Julian Brandt to advance to the Champions League knockout stage, leaving Italian side Inter Milan in third place of Group F.

The win put the Germans, who also had keeper Roman Buerki to thank with more than half a dozen sensational saves, on 10 points in second place, three ahead of Inter who lost 2-1 to already-qualified group winners Barcelona.

Sancho put the hosts ahead in the 10th and Dortmund could have added at least two more when Marco Reus twice had only keeper Ondrej Kolar to beat but was denied on both occasions.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group F - Borussia Dortmund v Slavia Prague - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - December 10, 2019 Borussia Dortmund's Julian Brandt scores their second goal REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

With the Germans having to better Inter's result against Barca to advance, the Czechs gradually found space and forced keeper Buerki to three outstanding saves, including an off-balance one-handed one, in the first half.

But he was well beaten when Tomas Soucek completed a lightning-quick attack in the 43rd to level.

The Germans recovered after the break and Brandt thumped in their second goal from a tight angle in the 61st to somewhat settle their nerves.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group F - Borussia Dortmund v Slavia Prague - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - December 10, 2019 Slavia Prague's Tomas Soucek scores their first goal REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

But they again needed Buerki's fine form to deny the Czechs another equaliser as the visitors' pressure mounted following the dismissal of Dortmund's Julian Weigl with a second booking in the 77th.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Tony Lawrence)

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group F - Borussia Dortmund v Slavia Prague - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - December 10, 2019 Borussia Dortmund players celebrate their first goal scored by Jadon Sancho REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group F - Borussia Dortmund v Slavia Prague - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - December 10, 2019 Borussia Dortmund's Raphael Guerreiro in action REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group F - Borussia Dortmund v Slavia Prague - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - December 10, 2019 Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels in action with Slavia Prague's Petr Sevcik REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group F - Borussia Dortmund v Slavia Prague - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - December 10, 2019 Borussia Dortmund's Achraf Hakimi in action with Slavia Prague's Peter Olayinka REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group F - Borussia Dortmund v Slavia Prague - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - December 10, 2019 Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre celebrates at the end of the match REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler