Chances for Real Madrid to get through to the final are very slim, but one thing is certain: theMerengues are not in the mood of giving up on their dream before the referee's final whistle.Cristiano Ronaldo has recovered from his minor injury and is expected to be fully fit this Tuesday night, in order to be listed in Real Madrid's line-up against Borussia Dortmund.
Real Madrid go head-to-head with Borussia Dortmund once more in theChampions League semi-finals on Tuesday night, with the Spaniards needing a miracle performance to stand any chance of making the final. The Santiago Bernabéuclub'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 Ronaldoon 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 Dortmundin 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 shutoutDortmund 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...
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Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Real Madrid put him against Borussia Dortmundin the Champions League semi-finals, on April 30, 2013. You can watch 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
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