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MOTD- Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund

By on April 30, 2013
Dortmund players celebrate the win, which seals them a spot in the Champions League finals

Dortmund players celebrate the loss, which seals them a spot in the Champions League final

Despite Real Madrid scoring two late goals to make life difficult for Borussia Dortmund, the German side have reached the finals of the Champions League for only the second time with a 2-0 win over Madrid.  Although Madrid managed not to lose their third Champions League match in a row, Cristiano Ronaldo also failed to become the first player to score in seven consecutive Champions League matches.

Madrid started the match very brightly, and Gonzalo Higuain almost put Jose Mourinho’s side up within four minutes when Luka Modric’s poor touch on the right fell to Mesut Ozil, who thread an inch-perfect ball to Higuain from the edge of the box.  Higuain’s first touch gave him space on the right side of the box, but his second touch was poor, allowing an oncoming Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller to kick away his low shot.  In the thirteenth minute Dortmund almost took the lead after a long ball found a completely unmarked Robert Lewandowski (who scored four goals in the first leg) in the Madrid box.  Lewandowski chested the ball down before acrobatically slamming a volley into the ground from eight yards out, which bounced up into the arms of Madrid goalkeeper Diego Lopez.  Seconds later Madrid almost went up when Angel Di Maria’s lobbed long-ball from the right found Ronaldo in the center of the box.  Much like Lewandowski, Ronaldo chested down, and at full stretch, volleyed it at Weidenfeller, and it bounced away off the chest of the the German’s chest with out Weidenfeller knowing too much about it.

The hectic and breathless beginning to the match continued, when a lovely flick from Higuain put Ozil in on goal down the right.  Ozil took the ball into the box, but instead of going to the far post or laying it off for Ronaldo, dragged his shot inches wide of the near post.  But Dortmund slowed the pace of the game, and kept possession of the ball.  Di Maria had his low shot from the edge of the box blocked, but Real failed to create any more chances, and after two minutes of added time, the first half ended 0-0.

Dortmund started the second half very dominantly, and should have put the tie to bed in the forty-ninth minute when Marco Reus ran down the left before cutting the ball back to Lewandowski, who horribly mis-hit his effort.  Seconds later Lewandowski again almost scored when Reus’ through ball put the the forward in on goal down the right.  Lewandowski took it towards goal, before smashing a wicked shot that slammed off of the underside of the crossbar, off the goal-line, and out for a goal-kick.  In the sixtieth minute Dortmund amazingly were still goalless after Kevin Grosskreutz headed Reus in down the right side of the box.  Reus cut it back too Ilkay Gundogan, and Lopez incredibly scampered across goal in time to superbly hurl himself in front of Gundogan’s first time shot from five yards out.  The German’s dominated possession, but Real slowly worked their way back into the match.

Ronaldo poked a shot just over the bar from the edge of the box, and Kaka tapped Di Maria’s cross just wide of the far post, before Lewandowski had his shot tackled away by Michael Essien.  Real amazingly grabbed an equalizer in the eighty-second minute substitute Karim Benzema got in behind the Dortmund defense to slam in Ozil’s low cross from the right.  Sergio Ramos’ header was saved by Weidenfeller and the goalkeeper acrobatically tipped Rafael Varane’s deflected shot from the edge of box over the bar, before Madrid stunningly grabbed their second goal in the eighty-eighth minute.  A half-cleared corner fell to Benzema at the near post, who cut it back to Ramos, who slammed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from five yards out.  Real only needed one more goal to advance to the finals, but Dortmund held on, and after five minutes of added time the match ended 2-0, with Dortmund reaching what looks to be an all-German final with a 4-3 win over Madrid on aggregate.
Man of the Match: Marco Reus

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.