 |
| Real Madrid stumble in Dortmund |
Real Madrid only made three changes to the team that played the match against Celta. Khedira, who on 19 minutes was taken off injured and was replaced by Modric, Di María and Benzema were players included in Mourinho's team who took a gamble in playing Ramos and Essien at right and left back. Borussia Dortmund began the match looking ready right from the beginning and wanted to show Real Madrid how they had reached two years undefeated in the Bundesliga in Signal Iduna Park, but the visitors showed solidarity in the defensive and also created problems in the home team’s area. Proof of this is that in the first half hour of the match they had enjoyed 60% of the possession and had already been fouled eight times against the three that they had committed.
Until then the German team had only generated chances from the edge of the area. Kehl’s two lashes at goal (13 'and 27') were met with a great response from Casillas although the second was even better than the first. The Whites could have also taken the lead on three occasions, but Özil missed from in front of goal following a cross from the left in the 5th and Di María’s shot in the 22nd minute and Ronaldo’s in the 26th both went very high.
After that first half hour the match changed completely and control of the match went back and forth constantly between both teams. Dortmund struck first. The ball was played into the hole for Lewandowski in the 36th minute and the Pole did not falter in the one-on-one with Casillas. 1-0 and the Signal Iduna Park roared following the goal which put their team ahead, but Real Madrid did not shy away from the match and the reply was immediate. Only two minutes later from the midfield Özil saw Ronaldo's run and picked him out with a great long pass. The Portuguese, who was faster than the two players marking him subtly chipped Weidenfeller. Two more chances, one per team, came before the break. The first fell to Götze with the ball ending in Casillas’ hands in the 44th minute. The last was Ramos’ following a great cut inside past Schmelzer, but his shot went wide.
The script did not change in the second half and the alternating possession was still the order of the day. No one was afraid to lose the match, both teams attacked with everything and the chances kept coming in what was a pulsating match. Götze had the first chance on 50 minutes. His shot with the inside of the left foot after a good team move was stopped by Casillas. Di María responded. A good inside pass from Benzema and the Argentine, as Ronaldo did for the visitors’ first goal won the foot-race against the German team’s centre backs, but shot well wide in the 55th minute.
There were no truce and it was Dortmund who again went ahead on the scoreboard. Schmelzer who was alert on the edge of the area took advantage of a Casillas punched clearance to put the ball in the back of the net with a volley in the 64th minute. From that moment it was Real Madrid who featured most heavily in the match and Mourinho decided to bring Higuaín on for Benzema. The last fifteen minutes were dominated by the visitors but get the goal that they were looking for. Real Madrid, who were playing their 350th European Cup match, will play two of the three remaining matches that will bring group D to a close at home. A win at the Bernabéu against Borussia in two weeks would give them sole lead of the group.
Summary
Stadium: Signal Iduma Park
Attendance: 80,000
Goals: 1-0, min 36: Lewandowski. 1-1, min 38: Cristiano Ronaldo. 2-1, min 64: Schmelzer
No comments:
Post a Comment