Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel is expecting Portugal talisman Cristiano Ronaldo in top form when his side host Champions League winners Real Madrid at the Signal Iduna Park tonight. Both sides bagged three points on matchday one of the Champions League, with Ronaldo opening the scoresheet for the Los Blancos in their late comeback win over Sporting Lisbon at the Santiago Bernabeu.
But despite winning the Champions League and the Euro 2016 in the summer, Cristiano Ronaldo has been facing issues with his fitness in the last couple of months. The European player of the year has failed to score in his last two consecutive appearances for Real Madrid and was unhappy when substituted by Zinedine Zidane in the 2-2 draw with Las Palmas at the weekend. But despite the problems, Thomas Tuchel has warned his upcoming Dortmund side from the three-time Balon d'Or winner and his teammates.
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"Cristiano is not in form? Who am I to say," the Dortmund boss told a news conference. "He is one of the best footballers in the world, a winner. We expect him at his best.
"We're preparing for Real Madrid in their best form. Of course, we acknowledge Real's quality. It will be a huge task to defend against them.
"We will need a lot of awareness, we need to be disciplined to switch from attack to defence. We need good possession stints."
Borrusia Dortmund are currently second in the Bundesliga after having have won four out of their last five games scoring 17 goals and conceding only 4.
"Of course we want to utilise Aubameyang's and [Ousmane] Dembele's pace. In the end, you have to be ready for every facet of the game," Tuchel explained. "It won't be just about being in possession, it won't just be about transition. We have to treat each situation individually. We need to be brave enough to capitalise on the moment when it presents itself.
"Our team currently has a very positive aura. They show great impetus and are able to focus on the point. We will get to know our team against perhaps the biggest name in football, all in a great atmosphere."
The Galacticos outclassed Dortmund in the quarter-finals before winning the La Decima in the 2014 season. The season before saw Dortmund prevail over Real Madrid as Dortmund reached the finals before losing out to Bayern Munich. But as these two heavyweights meet once again, it will be one of the most mouthwatering clashes this week in the Champions League.
