It's 1-1 at half-time here in Dortmund, after Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo bagged goals in Dortmund.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid: Half-time score 1-1 as Lewandowski and Ronaldo strike
The game had gotten off to a scrappy start, with a wet pitch seemingly making both teams reluctant to play too quickly, but there was also sloppy play from both sides, who struggled to get a grip on the game.
After 18 minutes, Sami Khedira limped off for the visitors with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, to be replaced by Luka Modric. Although an enforced change, it was a welcome one, as Real Madrid needed someone to take control of the game and arrest their sloppy passing in midfield. The game opened up almost immediately, although for the home side, with the unmarked Mario Gotze escaping down the left before cutting the ball back for Sebastian Kehl, whose fierce drive was tipped over by Iker Casillas.
Shortly afterwards, Dortmund showed some complacency of their own after Neven Subotic almost allowed Karim Benzema in, but after rescuing himself with a smart turn, his long pass almost put Robert Lewandowski clean through at the other end, only for him to be denied by a very unfortunate call that he had fouled Raphael Varane.
Real Madrid's makeshift backline was beginning to show it's limitations, but the mistake they made to allow Dortmund into the lead was an error that would have been naive in the lower leagues. Pepe's dreadful pass allowed Sebastian Kehl to intercept, and the Dortmund captain looked up to find Robert Lewandowski in an ocean of space in the central channel, with the Real Madrid centre-backs having drifted miles apart. A simple pass later and Lewandowski was through, smashing the ball past Iker Casillas at his near post to put BVB in the lead.
The lead was not to last long for Dortmund, however. Much like his opposite number Mario Gotze, Mesut Ozil had been largely untracked whenever he could be found, and after picking the ball up in midfield, found Cristiano Ronaldo surging into the box with a wonderfully-weighted pass. The pace and power of the Portuguese forward had looked Madrid’s most likely outlet for most of the half, though his finish was one of delicate beauty, producing a perfect chip to level the scores.
A dull game has suddenly exploded into life in Dortmund - there are certainly the potential of more goals in this, unless either manager succeeds in arresting his side’s defending at half-time. Neither back four have covered themselves in glory, and neither double-pivot has been able to exert much influence on the game in terms of possession or tracking opposition players. If it stays as open as this, we could be in for quite a few more goals.
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