In case you missed it, here are the highlights from Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League action.
The result
Match highlights: Real Madrid 2, Borussia Dortmund 0
The day’s main talking points
1. Close, but not close enough: Needing to win by three goals to overturn a 4-1 deficit from the first leg, Real Madrid came achingly close to pulling off a miracle at the Bernabeu, scoring two late goals to put a bit of fear into Borussia Dortmund. Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos’ strikes five minutes apart down the stretch breathed new life into a Real side that dominated the opening half hour of the contest, but then lulled their home fans and the German opponents to sleep with their slow-paced attack. Really, it looked as though this one was over at halftime after los blancos squandered a number of chances and let Dortmund off the hook. The Germans rode it out and began to call the tune against a tired Real side in the second half. But like the Spaniards, Dortmund failed to put away their scoring opportunities – and it nearly cost them. Real looked dead to the world before Benzema’s goal in the 83rd minute gave the hosts a bit of hope. Ramos’ blast was the product of furious attacking play by Real, but the comeback fell just short and they lost 4-3 on aggregate.
2. Real’s torrid start: A Cristiano Ronaldo goal in Real’s loss in the opening leg gave the Spaniards a glimmer of hope in the return fixture. Purveying wisdom suggested Real had to knick an early goal to make things interesting, so it was hardly a surprise that los blancos set a torrid pace early on. Furiously pressing their German opponents, Real looked dangerous and could have had a comfortable lead after 20 minutes, but Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria and Mesut Özil all spurned glorious scoring opportunities. By the time 30 minutes passed Real looked be running on tired legs and Dortmund began to assert itself a little more. Real doesn’t have the players to maintain this type of pressing game, and when all their hard work didn’t lead to a goal before the halftime break, it rendered their late flurry superfluous.
3. No goals for Lewandowski: Robert Lewandowski bagged all four goals for Dortmund last week in Germany, but received little service and was kept off the score sheet at the Bernabeau. It wasn’t for a lack of trying, though. The in-demand Polish striker didn’t make the most of a pair of scoring chances, the first coming in the opening half when he dawdled on the bar when he was inside the penalty area instead of firing it before Real’s defence could set up. The second chance came right after the halftime break when a great through ball from Marco Reus allowed Lewandowski to gallop into the box with Real’s defenders scampering back, only to unleash a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar. Fortunately for Dortmund, Lewandowski’s failure to convert didn’t come back to haunt them.
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Six pack of facts
Real Madrid have won three and drawn one of their four home games against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
This was Borussia Dortmund’s first loss in the Champions League this season (with seven wins and four draws).
Borussia Dortmund scored in each of their previous 15 Champions League matches before Tuesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Dortmund’s Marcel Schmelzer are the only outfield players to have played every single minute of this season’s Champions League campaign.
Real Madrid’s games have produced 44 goals (26 for, 18 against), the most in the Champions League this season.
The last team to come back after losing 4-1 in the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie was Deportivo La Coruna. In the 2004 quarter-finals, the Spanish side blanked AC Milan 4-0 in the second leg after losing the opener at San Siro.
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Goal of the day
Karim Benzema’s goal in the 83rd minute gave Real Madrid a life line, but Sergio Ramos’ five minutes later really made things interesting. Dortmund failed to clear its lines with the ball eventually ending up at the feet of Benzema. The Frenchman played a soft pass to Ramos in the penalty area and the Spaniard blasted a shot into the roof of the net.
Save of the day
Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller was called upon to make a number of saves in the first half, but his best stop (and most important) came in the fourth minute. Mesut Özil’s superb pass played Gonzalo Higuain into the box, but Weidenfeller came out quickly and made himself big to deny the Argentine of a sure goal and stunt Real Madrid’s early momentum.
Sportsnet’s play of the day
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Tweet of the day
Remember when Alonso conceded that needless penalty in the 1st leg? ya, the difference
— Thomas Dobby (@ThomasDobby) April 30, 2013
Burning questions
How would the complexion of the game changed had Real Madrid converted on any one of their four scoring chances in the opening 20 minutes?
With no La Liga title and no Champions League crown this season, what’s in store for Jose Mourinho? Will he be back as manager of Real Madrid next season? Or will he be at a new club? And if so, which one?
How serious is the hamstring injury to Dortmund midfielder Mario Götze, who was subbed out after 14 minutes?
Has Kaka played his last European game for Real Madrid?
3 stars
1) Roman Weidenfeller: The Borussia Dortmund made a number of crucial saves, both early on that kept the German outfit in the game, and late on to preserve the team’s aggregate win.
2) Ilkay Guendogan: He was Dortmund’s unsung hero on the day, displaying his great distribution skills to set up teammates and he looked dangerous himself in the final third.
3) Karim Benzema: He replaced an ineffective Gonzalo Higuain in the 57th minute and looked far more lively in spearheading the attack as he revitalized a sleepy Real Madrid.
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