Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid: Preview
Borussia Dortmund are set to take on their toughest test of the season yet when they play defending UCL champs Real Madrid Tuesday.
After scoring 20 goals in their last 4 fixtures, Borussia Dortmund appears to be flying high coming into their Champions League clash with last years winners, Real Madrid. Dortmund’s confidence will undoubtedly be at levels it hasn’t been in years, yet this Real Madrid match will prove to be their most difficult yet this season. It is entirely reasonable to expect nothing of the same from the last four fixtures come Tuesday.
Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid are no strangers to each other on Europe’s biggest stage. They were drawn into the same group in the 2012-2013 season, Dortmund winning their home leg of the group and drawing at the Bernabeu. Dortmund would go on to take first in the group. The two met again in the same year in the semi-finals with Dortmund taking a commanding 4-1 lead in Germany. Our boys in black and yellow lost the away fixture 2-0 but still got through to the final on goals. I think we all remember how that turned out… The two met again in the 2013-2014 quarter-finals with Real Madrid advancing on a 3-2 goal advantage.
Looking ahead to this latest edition, we can expect a high energy, back-and-forth offensive game. While Borussia Dortmund has been firing on all cylinders as of late, Real Madrid has drawn their last two league matches. Despite this, it would be foolish to think Zidane won’t have his men ready to go for this monster of a match. A win for either club will mean the victor will have a stranglehold on the group and the points will drastically help their odds of advancing through the group.
With Madrid having one of the most formidable attacks in all of football in Bale, Modric, Benzema, and Ronaldo, the Dortmund back line will have their hands full. To provide more support for a back line that is still trying to mesh and find their groove, I expect to see Julian Weigl get the start in a defensive midfield role to help shore up the defense. His versatility is vital in a game such as this, as he is a smart conservative defender and an excellent passer. He very rarely gives away possession of the ball, a trait that is vital when opposing a team that boasts one of the fastest players in the world on one side and perhaps the best player in the world lurking on the other. Keeper Roman Burki will certainly have to be in form tomorrow as he is likely to be facing a barrage of shots.
Dortmund’s line-up will most likely look a bit different than it has lately, despite the amazing performances recently. Andre Schurrle is expected to be back from a minor injury, which is likely to push Christian Pulisic back to the bench. Mario Gotze seems to be finding his stride again, and will assuredly start in the middle. Reus is still working to come back from a muscle tear he suffered last season so we should expect to see the fantastic Ousmane Dembele in the line-up again. After the recent fantastic performances newcomer and Euro winner Raphael Guerreiro has turned in of late, it would be reasonable to think that he may get the nod to start in the role that Ilkay Gundogan used to fill as a smart two-way player in the midfield. He has proven that he can provide creativity and goals on offense but is not a liability on the defensive side. Aubameyang is playing like he typically does, which is fantastic news for Dortmund fans.
These are the types of matches that make Champions League football one of the greatest spectacles in the world of sports. I expect a very fast, offensive game with both keepers getting plenty of work. My prediction: Dortmund makes use of their sky-high confidence and the fans push Die Schwartzgelben to a 2-1 win.