Last year’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund will welcome Spanish giants Real Madrid at the Signal Iduna Park in the second leg of the quarter-final encounter in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.
Dortmund were beaten 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg last week with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Isco. Ronaldo scored what was his 14th goal in the competition this season, equalling the record of most goals scored in the European competition in a season held jointly by Lionel Messi and Jose Altafini.
Despite having limped out of that match with a slight knee injury, Ronaldo will be fit to play on Tuesday after he was rested in the weekend’s clash against Real Sociedad. Madrid did not seem to miss their talisman much and hammered the opponents 4-0.
However, Gareth Bale hurt his knee and had to be stitched up, though he may yet be declared fit to travel to Dortmund..
Dortmund came back from being a goal down in the first half to defeat Vfl Wolfsburg 2-1 in the domestic league with star striker Robert Lewandowski on the score sheet.
The German club now has a three point lead over third placed Schalke 04 and is well on its way to an automatic place in the Champions League next season.
Manager Jurgen Klopp will be extremely happy to see Lewandowski back in the squad after having served his suspension.
It was Lewandowski whose four-goal haul in the first leg of the semi-final last year played a major part in taking his team to the final at Wembley. However, captain and midfielder Sebastian Kehl will miss this match due to suspension, and goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller might be kept out due to an arm injury.
Though the German team defeated Real Madrid both times the Galacticos travelled to Dortmund last season, it seems a different story this season and the home side face a humongous uphill task against the high-flying Spaniards.
The nine-time European champions have never lost a second leg tie after leading 3-0 in the first and seem to have all but avenged last season’s ouster in the semi-finals of the Champions League at the hands of the Germans.
