Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Real Madrid

The UEFA Champions League has seen some of the greatest comebacks in football. Every season we have experienced some thrilling knockout ties where teams have delivered with their backs to the wall and overturned the deficits to progress to the next round.But one individual has been on the receiving end of these miraculous comebacks on several occasions. Carlo Ancelotti is not a stranger to this situation. The Real Madrid manager has seen guaranteed victories slip away from his grasp during his managerial days. AC Milans infamous downfall at Deportivo La Coruna and the fairytale comeback by Liverpool at the 2005 final in Istanbul even after leading 3-0 at half time leave a red mark on the Italians report card.Tuesday night was about to be another disaster at the Signal Iduna Park for the former Milan boss. Real Madrids tactics went horribly wrong in the first half. With Lewandowski returning from suspension and Marco Reus on song, Dortmund put themselves in a commendable position by scoring 2 goals in the first half.But Reals tactical changes and substitutions in the second half saved their campaign and Dortmund fell inches short of achieving their goal. Los Blancos booked their semi final berth with a 3-2 aggregate win over the two legs We take a look at 5 key factors that shaped the result.

#1 Real Madrid\'s defence still suspect

Coming into this fixture, Ancelotti and his men were well aware of the fact that Dortmund would come out all guns blazing. While Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp fielded a youthful side in the middle of the park to execute their pressing game, the Italian put in a midfield trio of Xabi Alonso, Illaramendi and Luka Modric to shield the back four. The tactics clearly portrayed the defensive mindset of the team from the start.

Dortmund kept on pressing their opponents from the first whistle. And it was quite clear that Illaramendi, Carvajal and Pepe weren’t comfortable with that. It was Pepe who made the first error with a wrongly directed back pass. His headed back pass cost the team as Marco Reus capitalized on his mistake and scored.

The second goal came as a result of panic from Illaramendi when the midfielder misplaced his pass under pressure and Dortmund made the most of it. The former Sociedad man, who is intended to replace Alonso, looked nervous and lacked composure on the ball.

His team mate Carvajal was troubled throughout the match with Grosskreutz, Lewandowski and Reus targeting Real’s goal from the right side of the field. Had it not been for Mkhitaryan’s misses and Casillas’s excellent saves, Real Madrid fans would have had to wait for another year to fulfill their La Decima dreams.

#2 Lewandowski\'s return lifted Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund had to deal with Madrid without their striker Robert Lewandowski in the 1st leg who was out suspended. His replacement, Aubameyang along with Marco Reus led the attack at the Santiago Bernabeu. They did create a lot of chances but were wasteful on the night. With yesterday’s score line, they might be wondering what if they had been more productive in their away leg.

The return of Lewandowski once again proved his significance to the Dortmund side as he was a thorn in Madrid’s side all night. His clever movement accompanied by his superb link up play with Marco Reus kept the team ticking. It’s a shame though that the duo will last only for a few games more as the Pole will be off to Munich next season.

#3 Isco\'s introduction brought composure in midfield

After a poor first half performance, Illaramendi was substituted and was replaced by his compatriot Isco. The Spanish wonder kid has not been a regular starter this season. With a 2-0 score line and a second half to survive, Di Maria dropped back to his mid field position and Isco operated as a free flowing attacker.

The former Malaga player demonstrated his technical ability by holding up play and supporting the midfield to regain control and stabilize the midfield formation.

Dortmund players doubled up but were unable to breakdown the 21 year old whose contribution in the middle was quite significant on the night.

#4 Dortmund and its fans were inspiring

It has always been renowned for its hostile yet inspirational atmosphere. The Westfalenstadion is an intimidating place to visit for any team. The encouragement and belief of the home crowd brings the best out of their players and wills them to perform beyond their capabilities.

It is a daunting task for any opposition to play there and Madrid seemed to be smothered by the environment once again. Last year’s 4-1 battering echoed around the arena as 80,000 plus Die Borussen faithful were hoping for a comeback. Dortmund players inspired by their faithful support showed a display of their character and bowed out of the competition with their heads held high.

#5 Ronaldo still the deciding factor

Cristiano Ronaldo started on the bench last night due to a minor leg injury he suffered in the 1st leg. The two time Ballon D’or winner has been the top scorer for the second consecutive time in Champion League scoring 14 goals from eight appearances this season. With him missing, it was the stage for his BBC partners Bale and Benzema to step up and see Madrid through to the next round.

His absence on the pitch was clearly evident as there was no one to produce those special decisive moments in the match. There weren’t many forward runs from the attackers such as the ones which he usually makes and the leadership was missing up front. Dortmund’s defense was relatively more comfortable situation than the 1st tie.

However the Portuguese wasn’t far away from the action as he was the cheer leader for the team from the sidelines. One could see more passion and character radiating from him rather than the players present on the pitch. At the end, it was his third goal in the home tie that proved decisive for Real Madrid as they progressed to the semi finals of the competition.