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Borussia Dortmund 4 : 1 Real Madrid
Europe Moves a Step Closer to All German Final
by Madi Williamson
The side from the Ruhrgebiet, the heartland of industrial Germany, refused to bow down before Real Madrid, the Bluebloods of Castillian Spain tonight in North West Germany.
Borussia Dortmund are now notorious for their movement of the ball and speed of play and at their best they have shown that they are more than capable of destroying other European giants, even the likes of Real Madrid. Lucky for the home fans that packed into Signal Iduna (formerly Wesfalenstadion), Dortmund were certainly at their best and put on a show that will go down in history as one of the best performances on the European stage.
Much like their German counterparts in last night’s match in Munich, Dortmund were quick off their mark at the sound of the starting whistle.
“A touch of class” was the first phrase that came to mind in the opening minutes and Polish striker Robert Lewandowski’s touch into the back of the net for Dortmund was just that- a calm and collected finish with just enough nonchalance and demonstration of excellent strength and athleticism to be neither arrogant nor a desperate lunge at the ball.
For the remainder of the half Dortmund’s number nine continued to dazzle and dance around Real Madrid’s defense, outshining the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo who was nearly silent at the other end of the pitch. With just eight minutes gone, the Germans were leading 1-0 and were continuing to pressure Jose Mourinho’s men mercilessly.
By the 25th minute, Madrid was starting to see more of the ball. They established a rhythm of passing that helped them recollect themselves in the attack and lull the opposition into false relaxation. Weidenfeller did his part to deny Ronaldo but Madrid’s usual attacking maestros Ozil, Higuain and Alonso played a more prominent role in defending against Dortmund’s quick counter attacks than they did in creating their own.
The last twenty minutes of the first half was the best portion of the match for Madrid but they still struggled to create their own chances and penetrate the home side’s defensive line successfully. Ronaldo’s goal in the 43rd minute was thanks to a poor back pass from Mats Hummels.
Higuain the Argentine playmaker was quick to react to the German’s poorly weighted pass back to Weidenfeller and was able to convert it to a priceless pass and then a goal from Ronaldo for the visitors. At the half, Dortmund had been the dominant side but were in desperate need of another goal to avoid carrying a cumbersome deficit with them to Madrid next week.
Not wanting the possession to fall into the hands of the visitors once again and anxious to get their goal, Dortmund were again quickly attacking as the second half was underway. Robert Lewandowski will become a household name after his performance for Dortmund tonight.
With five minutes gone in the second half, he found the back of the net again with another classy finish past Diego Lopez after a fantastic initial effort from Reus was denied. Although he had cancelled out the away goal scored by Madrid, Dortmund and Lewandowski weren’t ready to sit back and enjoy the show yet. They continued to press and the Pole netted his historic third goal in the 55th minute becoming the first player to score a hattrick against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
With Dortmund’s famous fan group the Yellow Wall urging their team on, they continued to push. In the 66th minute, the dangerous Marco Reus was brought down clumsily in the box by Xabi Alonso and the home side were awarded a penalty kick. To top off his fairy tale night, Lewandowski stepped up to the spot to convert the kick into a goal, making it 4-1 and securing Dortmund a comfortable advantage for their trip to the Bernabeu.
Mourinho’s introduction of more attacking force from Benzema, Di Maria and Kaka went unnoticed as the home side continued to attack. Madrid finished the game with 52% of possession, but were unable to make their glimpses at goal count the same way Lewandowski did for Dortmund while Weidenfeller played his part to deny Ronaldo with several brave saves.
In the final minutes of the match, it seemed as though Madrid were going to manage a goal but when the final whistle blew it was clear that they would have to start chipping away at the three goal deficit in Spain next week.
For this week, at least, European football has been conquered by the brilliance of German football. The successful utilization of multiple styles of play has turned German football into a new hybrid style of football that the world has yet to see.
With the overwhelming mountains that both Spanish teams have to climb in the second legs of the UEFA Champions League final next week, football followers are facing the tantalizing possibility of an all German final in Wembley this season.
