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The Champions League is the holy grail for any European club worth their salt. From the Spanish duo of Real Madrid and Barcelona, to the Milanese rivals, to the Manchester twins, if there is one pursuit that takes chief precedence, it is this competition. But this year is a unique one in the UCL’s history. For the first time in history, two German clubs will slug it out for the top prize in European football.
Borussia Dortmund enter into the match as overwhelming underdogs. After dominating their Bavarian rivals for two seasons, Dortmund have fallen behind. But their run to the final has been nothing short of mind-blowing. The team that was humiliated in Europe last season has been majestic in this campaign. And while the arrival of Reus has worked wonders, the rest of the team has matured too.
Drawn in the Group of Death along with Ajax, Manchester City and Real Madrid, the odds of them progressing were pretty low. A grind of an effort, a narrow 1-0 win against lowly Ajax, seemed to further lower them. But no one could have foreseen what was about to come next. Dortmund travelled to the Etihad stadium and the general perception was that, with home advantage on their side, Manchester City would pull through. What followed is one of the most riveting matches I have ever seen. Dortmund were unstoppable that night. Hummels and Subotic kept the Manchester City attack under a leash, while the Reus, Blaschykowsi, Gotze and Lewandowski plundered away at the home team’s goal. Dortmund could have scored half a dozen goals, and the only reason they could not do it was Joe Hart. The English custodian had played the best match of his life to save his team from a drubbing.
The next tie against Real Madrid was one of those matches you don’t forget. It was high quality, end-to-end football. Schmelzer scored the winning strike after Lewandowski’s opener had been cancelled out by Ronaldo. By now everyone had started to take the erstwhile German champions very seriously indeed. The reverse fixture at the Bernabeu was not as high in terms of quality, but in terms of pure action, it was breathtaking. Pepe, who had been at fault for conceding Schmelzer’s goal, redeemed himself after he scored the equalizing goal late in the game and Real Madrid escaped with a draw.
When Ajax visited the Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund were unplayable. Every pass was perfect, every move was coming off perfectly and the 4-1 score line did not emphasize the extent to which the Germans had dominated the Dutch. Lewandoski scored a brace, while Gotze and Reus scored one each. By now, the question was not whether or not the yellow German juggernaut would qualify or not, but who would come second in the group, as they were already in pole position. That they would defeat Manchester City was a foregone conclusion and Dortmund proceeded unbeaten to the knock-out stages high on confidence.
The Round of 16 draw was an exciting one. While the tie of the round was Real Madrid vs Manchester United, it was the Dortmund vs Donetsk tie that was most exciting. The first leg of the tie at Donetsk was more pinball than football. Donetsk put up a good fight and Dortmund, who were below their best, nevertheless managed two goals, one each from captain Hummels and Lewandowski. The second instalment was almost a walkover as Klopp’s men eased to a 3-0 win.
When Malaga were drawn to play Dortmund in the next round, it pleased purists to no end. Two teams who believed in playing fast-paced, attacking football were drawn against each other, and fans were treated to a humdinger of a tie. In the first match, Dortmund were all over Malaga. But a combination of brilliant keeping and mediocre finishing kept the tie scoreless. Going into the next match with a clean slate, Malaga looked slight favourites.
What followed was an epic match. Joaquin put Malaga in front, but Lewandowski and Reus combined brilliantly to score an equalizer. What followed was pure drama. Eliseu put Malaga ahead in the 82nd minute and elimination was almost certain for Dortmund. But Reus scored in stoppage time and Santana scored a scrappy winner with the last possible kick of the game to complete one of the most historic comebacks in Champions League history.
When the semi final draw was made, it was presumed Real Madrid would progress. Most forgot, or rather ignored the fact, that Real had not looked close to winning either of the matches against Dortmund in the group stage. When the time for the match arrived, Westfalenstadion was packed to the rafters and the noise was, well, unbelievable.
The men in yellow delivered and in style, as Lewandowski scored a mind-boggling four goals on the night. Gundogan, Reus, Gotze, Subotic and Weindenfeller were all magnificent as well, and totally mauled Los Blancos. The only mistake in the game was made by Hummels, which allowed Real to score an away goal. Lewandowski had the match of his career. All of his finishes were clinical, and while it was a team effort that defeated the Madridistas, the Polish marksman was the catalyst.
Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring a penalty to mark his team’s fourth goal during the UEFA Champions League semi final first leg match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid at Signal Iduna Park on April 24, 2013
The second leg was a different ball-game altogether. Real started with all guns blazing, but luck and Roman Weindenfeller weathered the storm without conceding ,and Dortmund grew into the game. In the 82nd minute, Benzema scored, and 5 minutes later, Ramos blasted in a goal too. Dortmund lost the battle, but won the war, as they proceeded to the finals of the UCL.
One thing some would notice is that the Germans were the underdogs in almost every game they played, including the fast-approaching final game of the Champions League. They will once again have to upset the balance of power and believe in themselves. They will once again have to put up a performance of a lifetime, and I believe they can do it.
