Dortmund earn deserved point at home to holders Real
September 28, 2016
Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Real Madrid
(Aubameyang 43', Schürrle 87' - Ronaldo 17', Varane 68')
After spending heavily over the summer, Dortmund had high hopes of continuing their winning run at home to Real, who they had beaten in their previous three meetings in Germany.
Early free kicks from Ronaldo and Gonzalo Castro forced good saves from Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Bürki and his Real counterpart Keylor Navas respectively before Real snatched the lead in the 17th minute.
Gareth Bale’s clever back heel squirmed through to Ronaldo and he stabbed a shot across Bürki and into the far corner, the Portugal captain’s record extending 95th Champions League goal.
Dortmund pressed immediately for an equalizer and Ousmane Dembele’s effort was deflected over the crossbar by Sergio Ramos in the 25th minute before Sokratis Papastathopoulos tested Navas with a header.
Blasted over
Dortmund were level two minutes before halftime. Navas attempted to clear Raphael Guerreiro’s free kick but punched the ball against team mate Raphael Varane and Aubameyang stabbed the ball over the line.
It was the Gabon forward’s seventh goal in nine appearances for Dortmund this season.
The pacy and skillful Dembele was causing problems for Real fullback Danilo and the French teenager blasted over when well placed six minutes into the second half.
Navas parried a curling Aubameyang effort moments later before the ever-dangerous Ronaldo failed to capitalize on an inviting Ramos centre, sending a glancing header wide.
Real were back in front in the 68th minute when Karim Benzema volleyed a Ronaldo centre onto the frame of the goal and Varane was on hand to put the loose ball over the line.
Guerreiro forced a good save from Navas with a powerful drive two minutes later and the Costa Rican was by far the busier of the two keepers in the closing stages.
Dortmund midfielder Christian Pulisic had given the home side some real zip after coming on in the 73rd minute and it was his cross that eventually fell to fellow substitute Schürrle three minutes from time.
The German international steadied himself before crashing a left-foot shot into the roof of the net.
Both sides went in search of a late winner but the final action of the game was a brief melee in the Real area which resulted in a yellow card for Aubameyang.
Unsavory conclusion
It was a slightly unsavory conclusion to what had been an entertaining spectacle.
"It looked for a long time as if we weren't going to be able to turn the game around so we're pleased that we showed courage and believed in the draw," Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel said.
"We are not completely happy with the 2-2 but we are a long way from not being able to value the result for what it is," he added. "It feels good not to lose having twice been behind. But we have the feeling we could have done better."
Tuchel's Real counterpart Zinedine Zidane was annoyed his team had twice let the lead slip in what was their third draw in a row after two stalemates in La Liga.
"I am angry because we played a great match, with a lot of effort," the former France and Real great told reporters. "In defense and attack we did what we set out to do but at the end it was the same result for the third game in a row."
In the other match in Group F, Sporting Lisbon beat Legia Warsaw 2-0. Sporting have three points from two games, with Dortmund and Real both on four.
Dortmund vs Real Madrid: As it happened
Other Champions League results:
CSKA 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Sporting 2-0 Legia Warsaw
Copenhagen 4-0 Club Brugge
Leicester 1-0 Porto
Dinamo 0-4 Juventus
Sevilla 1-0 Lyon