 |
|
30.04.2013 » Real Madrid need a miracle against Borussia Dortmund in second leg
Real Madrid go head-to-head with Borussia Dortmund once more in the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday night, with the Spaniards needing a miracle performance to stand any chance of making the final. The Santiago Bernabéu club's quest to win "La Decima" took a hammer blow in the first leg at Signal Iduna Park, succumbing to a debilitating 4-1 defeat against the German champions. However, with José Mourinho at the helm and players such as Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch, the hosts are still in with a slim chance.
For Madrid to stand a chance of progression they must get off to a good start, and will hope that the imposing atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu can aid them in their efforts. Madrid have not beat Dortmund in three attempts this term, losing twice, and as such there needs to be a number of definitive changes in the sides approach to win the match, never mind in a convincing enough fashion to overcome the current deficit.
Real Madrid failed to deal with the swift and intricate attack of Borussia Dortmund in the first leg, with the likes of Mario Gotze, Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan given too much of a free reign to orchestrate play. Robert Lewandowski's four goals in the first leg did the damage, and if the Polish forward gets another in the second leg, it could kill the tie off as a contest.
Dortmund's high line and midfield pressing limited Madrid's creative players and forced errors; it is down to Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil to find space and make use of the big Bernabéu pitch to influence the game. Angel Di Maria is likely to be recalled to the starting XI for the rematch, to give the side that much-needed width and a pacy threat in behind.
The first port of call for Real Madrid will be to dominate possession and limit the attacking threat of the German visitors, as realistically "Los Blancos" must shutout Dortmund if they stand a chance of progression. Mourinho will urge his side to come out of the blocks quickly, and an early goal will excite the crowd and make things interesting.
Madrid recorded an important 2-1 away win against cross-city rivals Atletico on Saturday at the Vicente Calderon, with Mourinho resting his top players for the encounter on Tuesday night. Jürgen Klopp's men have their heads up after the convincing nature of their first leg win, and beat Fortuna Dusseldorf at the weekend, to make it six victories in a row in all competitions.
The Germans are hot favourites to make the final at Wembley, but with Cristiano Ronaldo in Real's side and an imposing Bernabéu atmosphere, the tie is not dead quite yet...
Get Real Madrid results through the SpoW football app:
SpoW football is a brilliant new football stats app that helps you keep track of your favourite teams and compare your knowledge with fellow Madridistas (and other football fans) around the world. SpoW football is currently available on the iPhone and can be downloaded from the App Store.
Key points:
::: Follow your favorite leagues with lightning-fast score updates
::: You can log in through Facebook
::: Compete against your friends by making predictions on upcoming games
::: Get push notifications for goals and red cards and check the latest info on the season such as goals, substitutions, yellow/red cards, penalties scored/missed, assists, lineups, and much more.
And lots more - you can see read the full SpoW football review on Soccerlens.
You can download SpoW for your iPhone here. For more information about SpoW, visit the SpoW website, like SpoW on Facebook or follow SpoW on Twitter.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Real Madrid put him against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals, on April 30, 2013. You can watch Juventus live stream, Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona vs Bayern Munich, Chelsea vs Basel and Benfica vs Fenerbahce, all matches provided from our soccer free streaming section.
Real Madrid next game:
Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund kick-off time (30-04-2013):
Jakarta (Indonesia) | GMT+7: 02:45
Spain (Madrid) | GMT+1: 20:45
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | GMT+0: 19:45
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | GMT-3: 16:45
New York (United States) | GMT-4: 15:45
Los Angeles (United States) | GMT-7: 12:45
Beijing (China) | GMT+8: 03:45
Sources: ronaldo7.net
