Dortmund provided world football with one of the biggest shocks of recent memory just six days ago as they beat Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
Though it wasn’t the result that was shocking, it was the manner of it. Madrid were decimated and given a lesson in football so severe that the last time they were subjected to such a lesson was in Mourinho’s first Clasico all those years ago where Madrid were beaten 5-0. And whilst the score-line this time around wasn’t that severe (only a 4-1 defeat) it was still a triumph of a strong team ethic over a group of individuals.
Mourinho was magnanimous in defeat saying that his side played as if they were in a friendly and that the return leg would be a completely different story. Tonight we got to see whether the Special One’s statement of intent would come to fruition. It did, to an extent. Madrid began with an air of dominance about them as they had their first corner within a matter of 90 seconds. Nothing came of it but it was a statement of intent nonetheless as chance after chance after chance came Madrid’s way. Mesut Ozil was the instigator as he in turn fed Ronaldo twice as well as Higuain to put them through on goal only for the Dortmund rear-guard to scupper any chances Madrid got. Still though, it looked good for Real Madrid as they had ample opportunity and Dortmund had barely got out of their own half.
That soon ended though as Dortmund sussed out Madrid’s game plan and neutralised the wondering threat of Ozil. With Ronaldo looking off colour, Higuain being outmuscled by the superb Mats Hummels and no other realistic threat from Real, Dortmund took over. Lewandowski, Reus and Gotze asked questions of the Madrid defence for the remainder of the half but the home side were equal to the challenge and saw out the half with the score still goalless.
The second half continued in the same vain as Dortmund dominated and Real rebuffed every threat but the turning point came in the 62nd minute where Madrid were pulled left and right until Reus teed up Gundogan for an open goal but Madrid keeper Diego Lopez was somehow able to dive and save the effort. This spurred Madrid on to greater things and the twenty minutes of dominance that followed paid dividends as the introduction of Karim Benzema changed the game for the home side and led Madrid to their first goal in the final 10 minutes. It was Ozil that was the provider as Benzema tapped in from close-range to give the home side a bit of hope going into the closing minutes. Dortmund looked to have collapsed when Madrid scored again in the 88th minute as Benzema turned provider this time for Sergio Ramos to get on the score-sheet. A hectic finish saw Ramos head agonisingly wide again as well as a trademark Cristiano Ronaldo penalty claim was waved away before the final whistle blew. Dortmund scraped through and Mourinho’s Madrid were their victims. In truth though, Madrid were victims of themselves as they shouldn’t have been so lackadaisical in the first leg.
One can’t doubt how much Dortmund deserve to be in this final but for me that isn’t the main talking point as after the first leg it was almost a foregone conclusion. That’s the main talking point for me, when has a fixture involving Jose Mourinho ever been a foregone conclusion? We’ve always expected the Special One to have a master plan and come back to win in dramatic fashion but the fact that it hasn’t happened for him at all this season is the main talking point for me. Is Mourinho losing his touch? Or has he just bitten off more than he can chew trying to deal with the Madrid Bureaucracy? Will he leave in the summer and if so to where? It certainly makes for some interesting scenarios!