Champions League SF first leg: Dortmund demolish Real Madrid 4-1

European giants Borussia Dortmund defeated Real Madrid 4-1 in their Champions League semi-final first leg played at Westfalenstadion on Wednesday.

Dortmund's dazzling performance comes only a day after Bayern Munich crushed Barcelona 4-0 in the other semifinal first leg to raise the prospect of an all-German match-up in the final at Wembley in May.
 
Poland international Lewandowski, who looks set to leave after refusing to extend his contract past 2014, became the first person to score four goals in a Champions League semifinal, opening his account after eight minutes.
 
The 24-year-old added three more in the second half, including an emphatic penalty, leaving the nine-time European champions badly wounded.
 
Cristiano Ronaldo had equalised just before the break for the Spaniards, who face a monumental task against still undefeated Dortmund in Tuesday's home second leg.
 
"We lacked commitment, starting with myself and including the 10 others who were on the pitch," Real defender Sergio Ramos told Canal Plus.
 
"We have to keep faith that we can turn it around in the return leg, there are 90 minutes left. We will come out fighting from the first minute because it's a competition that means a lot to us."
 
Dortmund, who had beaten Real at home in the group stage, had hoped a surprise July transfer of Mario Goetze to Bayern Munich announced on Tuesday would not distract them.
 
Coach Juergen Klopp had appealed for a great footballing occasion and the 62,000 Dortmund fans, angered by the 20-year-old's decision to join their arch-rivals in the south, showed restraint when he came onto the pitch.
 
He soon paid them back, curling a superb cross into the box for Lewandowski, who had come close a minute earlier, to tap in after holding off Real's Pepe for his seventh goal of the Champions League campaign.
 
It took Real more than 20 minutes to curb their opponents' attacking game and Ronaldo tested goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller with a long-range stinging free kick.
 
But they needed a Dortmund mistake to level in the 43rd, seconds after the Germans had demanded a penalty for a challenge on Marco Reus.
 
Central defender Mats Hummels miscued his back pass and Gonzalo Higuain intercepted it and fed unmarked Ronaldo in the box who levelled with his 12th goal of the competition.
 
Ronaldo's goal meant he equalled a record of scoring in six straight Champions League games and joins Thierry Henry in fourth place of the Champions League all-time scorers list with his 50th goal.
 
But Real's joy was shortlived when Lewandowski struck twice in five minutes after the break as the one-sided traffic resumed.
 
The Pole was picked out by Reus in the 50th minute to score from close range after evading the offside trap and then controlled a Marcel Schmelzer cross to drill in from about 10 metres after some superb skill.
 
He completed a brilliant individual and team performance when he converted a 66th minute spot kick with Real looking wildly out of sorts, much like their Spanish rivals in Munich on Tuesday.
 
"It was superb performance for almost 90 minutes," said Dortmund sports director Michael Zorc.
 
"I think it was a deserved win but we still need to be very careful in the return leg. The goal we conceded was our mistake and we brought Real back in the game. But the team corrected it very well."

Dortmund have won each of their last 7 home games and all 5 of their home Champions League games this season; and they displayed sheer tact and skill to emerge on top of the Spanish giants.

The home side had been intense at the start of this game, playing with incredible pace and pressure with and without the ball, but Gotze's cross from the left exposed Madrid's back-tracking defence, and Lewandowski was on hand at the back post to turn home the opening goal of the night .

Dortmund had their own moments of setback as they got engrossed complaining a penalty decision as Hummels badly under-hit a pass to the goalkeeper to allow Higuain a clean run on goal.

The Argentine kept his composure and crossed the ball to Ronaldo to tap in his 12th Champions League goal of the season and 50th of his career.

At half time both teams were locked 1-1 but Dortmund surged ahead after the second half with Lewandowski putting Dortmund back on track .

Lewandowski came back with a bang yet again firing home his hat-trick of the night to pile misery on Madrid.

As the game raced towards full time, he drilled home  a penalty to make it four goals of the night snatching the game away from Real Madrid.

FULL TIME 4-1

Borussia Dortmund     4               Real Madrid   1

Lewandowski 8′, 50′, 55′, 67′      Ronaldo 43′

Ball possesion

Borussia Dortmund                    Real Madrid
49%                                                  51%

Yellow cards

Borussia Dortmund                     Real Madrid
1                                                        3

92" A corner won by Real Madrid a last opportunity but as the ball dips towards Ronaldo but fails to yield any result.

90" After half time it looked that the game was evenly poised but the Germans stamped the second half with their mark of supremacy with Lewandowski emerging the hero .

87" Both teams fight on and by the looks of it Ronaldo is desperately looking to pullback a goal.

83" Now that substitutions done by both teams extra time will definitely apply as both teams continue their attack.

82" Substitutions now made in the Dortmund camp. Piszczek and Blaszczykowski replaced by Kehl and Grosskreutz.

80" Another quick substitution by Real Madrid, Alonso is replaced by Kaka and now Real will look desperately for a miracle.

78" Lewandowski is in strking form and gets on top of lofted pass from midfield slamming it hard into Lopez positioned in front of the goal.

76" Benzema and Ramos make quick passes but fail to keep the ball for long.

74" Real seem to lose their grip as the Germans plough back strongly with the dangerous Lewandowski lurking in the danger zone.

68" Real make quick changes with Modric and Higuain making their way out giving with Di Maria and Benzema coming in at this crucial stage.

67" GOAL! Lewandowski slams home the penalty to make it four goals .

65" Reus is bundled to the ground by Alonso after a great flick by  Gotze into the area, and  Dortmund have a penalty.

59" Real look rattled with two quick goals and desperately claw back with Ronaldo and Ozil struggling to break the German defence.

55" GOAL!  Lewandowski scores yet again to grab his hat-trick of the night.

52" Khedira brings  Reus crashing to the ground in midfield and is booked .

50" GOAL! Lewandowski puts Dortmund back on track amidst strong appeals of a offside by Diego Lopez,  Ramos, Varane and Pepe. But it's done and dusted, Dortmund are back into the game.
 
46" Dortmund begin their goal hunt in real earnest with Gotze, Reus and  Lewandowski co-ordinating well in the front.

HALF TIME 1-1

45" Both teams fight for ball possession with appeals for fouls ignored by the referee.

42" GOAL! Ronaldo pull backs in time, as Dortmund were still complaining about the penalty decision as Mats Hummels badly under-hit a pass to the goalkeeper to allow Gonzalo Higuain a clean run on goal. The Argentine did brilliantly to cross for  Ronaldo to tap in his 12th Champions League goal of the season and 50th of his career.

41" Dramatic change in the game with Reus being brought down in the danger zone but the referee doesn't give it. There was contact from Raphael Varane.

39" Dortmund defend well with Weidenfeller, Piszczek, Subotic and Hummels keeping a check on Fabio Coentrao, Alonso and Ronaldo. Fantastic job by the Germans.

35" Lot of long shots exchanged by both team with the ball oscillating both sides, finally Alonso traps the ball shoots it ahead for Ronaldo but fails to find  the gap.

31" Real cling strongly with ball but are dispossesed by Blaszczykowski who dodges Ramos and Pepe but fails to find the target.

29" Action all over at the Dortmund end with Ronaldo and Alonso unleashing volleys punched away by the alert Weidenfeller under the crossbar.

24" Ronaldo once again involved in a freekick this time at the boots of Schmelzer.

21" Gotze is the centre of attraction with Ronaldo sharing the same admiration in the stands. Free kick appeal by  Ronaldo.

19" Throw in for Dortmund but the ball once again is put out of play. The game is now restricted to midfield now.

16" Ronaldo in the thick of action but Reus relives him of the ball, Dortmund are all fired up with the fans support.

13" Ronaldo makes a dart latching onto the ball from the deep but is checked by Piszczek, Subotic and trips looking to Bjorn Kuipers to award a freekick but game continues.

11" Sergio Ramos, Varane, Pepe were completely beaten again in the counter attack, but the ball is shot away into Dortmund's end by Schmelzer.

8" GOAL! Robert Lewandowski streches and  makes no mistake to tap in the ball with Diego Lopez completely beaten.

2" Dortmund win the ball and move it around with Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels lofting it upfront in midfield but Coentrao blocks the threat.

1" Real attack with Ozil, Modric, Ronaldo and Higuain make short passes darting towards the rival end.

BUILD UP

Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid prepare to battle it out in their semi-final first leg with a lot to live up to in tonight's second Champions League semi-finals.

PLAYING XI

Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller, Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer, Bender, Gundogan, Blaszczykowski, Gotze, Reus, Lewandowski.

Subs: Langerak, Kehl, Leitner, Sahin, Grosskreutz, Schieber, Felipe Santana.

Real Madrid: Diego Lopez, Sergio Ramos, Varane, Pepe, Fabio Coentrao, Khedira, Alonso, Ozil, Modric, Ronaldo, Higuain.

Subs: Casillas, Kaka, Benzema, Albiol, Callejon, Di Maria, Nacho.

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Holland)

Probable Lineups

Borussia Dortmund             Real Madrid 
4-2-3-1                                     4-2-3-1

MATCH PREVIEW

Both clubs won their respective leagues in impressive fashion last season, both are tactically astute teams with huge counter-attacking threats, with hugely respected coaches.

All eyes will be on Mario Gotze, after the stunning revelation of his summer move to Bayern Munich for a fee of 37 million euros.

Sven Bender and Ilkay Gundogan will see off competition from former Blancos midfielder Nuri Sahin and club captain Sebastian Kehl to start in the middle of the park, with Jakub Blaszczykowski preferred to Kevin Grosskreutz on the wing.

Cristiano Ronaldo  finally takes centre stage in Europe's biggest competition.

Real Madrid has a few injury worries .

Sergio Ramos will start at right back, with Pepe and Raphael Varane at the heart of the defence.

Marcelo has a hamstring knock, with Fabio Coentrao looking to start at left back.  Jose Mourinho's men will be more or less at full strength.

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