Volland relieved with Moscow strike

Germany international Kevin Volland was a relieved man after his first-half goal enabled Bayer Leverkusen to claim a 1-1 Champions League draw at CSKA Moscow.

Volland has endured a miserable season so far, failing to score in the Bundesliga and then being sent off against former club Hoffenheim last month.

But he netted the opener at the Arena CSKA after 16 minutes only for a penalty from Bibras Natcho to deny the visitors victory. Volland also curled a shot against the post in the closing minutes, but it finished level, meaning Leverkusen were waiting on results elsewhere on Tuesday to see if they had done enough to progress to the knockout stages.

“The last couple of weeks have been difficult for me personally, so a goal like that always helps boost your confidence,” Volland told UEFA.com.

“I could have scored again in the second half, but the ball came off the post. A point in Moscow is okay, but we had the chances to get all three points.”

Leverkusen boss Roger Schmidt rued Volland’s late miss, but was largely content with his team’s display.

“It’s a shame we didn’t see the game out,” he said. “We deserved to take the lead, but it was clear Moscow would put pressure on us after that.

“We had a great chance to score a second through Kevin Volland, but we’re satisfied with the draw. It’s not easy here in Moscow.”