Madrid: Casillas; Dani Carvajal, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Coentrao; Modric, Xabi Alonso, Isco (Illarramendi 71’); Bale, Benzema (Morata 74‘), Cristiano Ronaldo (Casemiro 80’). 4-3-3.
Dortmund: Weidenfeller; Piszczek (Schieber 66’), Sokratis, Hummels, Durm; Kehl (Jojic 73’), Sahin; Reus, Mkhitaryan (Jonas Hofmann 63‘), Grosskreuz; Aubameyang. 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
1-0. 03. Bale. Picked up Carvajal pass and ran on to poke shot past Weidenfeller.
2-0. 27. Isco. Struck shot wide of keeper after Alonso played ball across area.
3-0. 57. Ronaldo. Collected Modric pass and went on to steer shot past keeper.
Real Madrid are close to a place in the semi-finals after a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund. The German side knocked Madrid out of the competition last season, and fresh in the minds was the memory of that 4-1 first leg result. However the man who got all the goals, Lewandowski, was suspended tonight, and several other big names had moved on since that fateful day. This time though Ancelotti’s side took an early lead, Bale latching on to Carvajal’s pass to poke a shot past Weidenfeller, and the visiting keeper had to save a couple of efforts from Ronaldo before Isco picked up a Xabi Alonso assist to make it two. Later in the first half Weidenfeller did well to tip a Bale free kick over the bar, and after the break Modric intercepted Piszczek’s pass and played the ball through for Ronaldo to dummy the keeper and score, his fourteenth of the competition this season equaling Messi’s all time record. An away goal by the visitors would have put them back in the game though, and only a couple of great tackles by Pepe prevented Mkhitaryan from scoring. Casillas had to make a couple of saves as well, in particular from Reus, and Jürgen Klopp’s side felt that English referee Mark Clattenberg should have given them a penalty or two. An important clean sheet though, and even that 4-1 scoreline would not be enough to overturn this one.