It's all looking doom and gloom for a once entertaining Borussia Dortmund. Haven been decimated by Real Madrid six days ago, it is time to set the record straight and at least play for pride at the Signa Iduna tonight. It is a seemingly lost cause for Die Borussen but impossible is nothing.
Jurgen Klopp nad his boys warmed up for this special occasion with a sweet, come from behind victory over Wolfsburg in the Buli on Saturday. Marco Reus scored the winner to make it four goals in his last two League games but it is in the Champions League they need him more. After getting bashed by Los Merengues last week Wednesday, Dortmund cannot afford another mauling. Klopp has been rather unfortunate with injuries this term and is likely to call upon the bulk of the same team that faced the Spanish giants at the Bernabeu, except that Lewandowski is back from suspension and will remember how his four goals set his team on a glory hunting mission in the same competition last season. The Pole is Bayern bound but he will want to leave his mark on what is almost certainly his last Champions League game for the yellow and black.
Real Madrid posted a brilliant result on Saturday at San Sebastian when they put champions league chasing Real Sociedad to the sword. The UCL European Cup record winners thrived where Barcelona and many others have failed and the result was a 4-0 win. Gareth Bale starred in that match and despite fears of a layoff, he is fit to face the same Dortmund side he opened the scoring against last week. Cristiano Ronaldo limped out of training 15 minutes into the game and it has been proclaimed that he is a major doubt for today's affair. That means a chance to break the record he shares with Messi might have to wait until the semi-finals if Real see it through.
It is difficult to see how Dortmund will score four without Real getting at least a goal. Lewandowski's four goals condemned los Blancos to a painful defeat last season. Only a performance much better than that can give Dortmund a chance but they lack the personnel to handle this kind of situation.
PROBABLE LINEUPS-
BORUSSIA DORTMUND
Weidenfeller, Piszczek, Hummels, Papastathopoulos, Dumm, Grosskreutz, Jojic, Sahin, Reus, Mkhitaryan, LEWANDOWSKI
REAL MADRID
Casillas, Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao, Alonso, Modric, Di Maria, Bale, Benzema, CR7
Die Schwarzgelben cannot call upon the services of Sven Bender, IIkay Gundogan and Marcel Schmelzer because they are all injured. To make matters worse, Captain and midfield destroyer, Sebastian Kehl is banned for tonight's game. That leaves gaping holes in midfield which will be filled by January acquisition, Milos Jojic who is inexperienced and may be overwhelmed by the atmosphere. The attacking midfielder has to be helped by Sahin, Grosskreutz and Henrikh. PEA17 will be replaced by Lewandowski after the Gabonese couldn't covert at least one of the many chances that came his way. The returning Pole knows where the net is and Real Madrid are aware that he does. Rolls Reus has to turn up tonight, If he does, then Dortmund fans can dream. Henrikh Mkhitaryan has cooled down a bit. The Armenian attacking midfielder started his career at the club ecellently well but seems to have faded in the last two months. However, class is permanent.
LA DECIMA chasing Los meregues know that there is no margin for error from here on. Any slip up and they can bid farewell to their dream of claiming a 10th European cup for yet another campaign. It has been a long wait (twelve years) for Madridistas. Don Carlo admitted that the Champions League was the priority this term. The main objective. Anything else is a bonus, although a treble would be welcomed. CR7 limped out of training yesterday but should shrug off whatever impedes him. Karim Benzema hasn't been among the goals lately. The Frenchman has done quite well this season and is part of the deadliest trio in WORLD FOOTBALL tagged the 'BBC'.
Anything other than Real Madrid going through will be most bewildering.
Ohireime P Eboreime
@ohiskaka1990
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