Dortmund show Real how much they've grown

“Do you remember 4-1” were the words on one of the banners in the Signal Iduna Park before kick off.

Real Madrid may still be traumatized by that night in April 2013 when Robert Lewandowski put four goals past them. Recent trips to Dortmund have been painful experiences for the 11-times European champions, with three defeats in three matches before Tuesday.

This time around, against a new-look Dortmund boasting a slew of fresh talent, Real were given another taste of how the gulf in class between the two clubs may as narrow as it has ever been.

Home coach Thomas Tuchel went all in. Dortmund defended high up the pitch, trying to squeeze the life out of Real Madrid early. At the start, it worked too. Madrid were rattled. The home fans became gladiatorial. Every venture forward was cheered, while opposition attacks were met with a collective hiss of discontent.

Crucially, Dortmund failed to convert any of their chances. Mario Götze was quiet, Ousmane Dembele boisterous but without anything concrete to show for it. Not even Raphael Guerreiro could leave his mark. Dortmund’s summer signings were shimmering but not shining.

Slick move

Real Madrid’s opening goal was the brightest moment of the game. The slick passing move that started with an outrageous outside-of-the-boot pass from Luka Modric ended in Cristiano Ronaldo firing home from a Gareth Bale flick. It was the Portugal captain's record-extending 95th Champions League goal and a timely reminder of the defending champions’ pedigree.

Tuchel was furious that Dortmund weren’t tighter. When driving forward, the home side weren’t applying the same pressure that had been on show in the first 20 minutes. Dortmund looked like a newly-assembled team still finding their feet. Tuchel’s high line and possession play was playing right into Madrid’s hands.

On a night when Tuchel’s tactical supremacy was supposed to be on show, it was fortune and then grit that drew them level, before Real edged ahead again.

It might have been a group-stage game, one that is ultimately just a prelude to the knockout rounds, but it was important for Dortmund not to bow out with a whimper.

The fact that they did not meekly surrender, as they might have done in past encounters, was telling. They were not overwhelmed by the occasion, or their illustrious opponent. Roared on by the home faithful, they refused to give in.

Andre Schürrle might have looked far less lively off the bench than team mate Christian Pulisic, but his left foot can be lethal and it left a ringing in Madrid’s ears at the end of the night.

“We have really young players. A great performance from us,” said Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang afterwards.  “I was really up for the game,” added Julian Weigl, whose passing machine ticked over superbly.

But it was Thomas Tuchel’s words after the game that seemed most telling. “Coming back twice means it feels like we haven’t lost, but we do feel like we could have played better.”

On the verge of breaking into the top 10 of the game's wealthiest clubs and in the upward swing of Tuchel’s transition, Dortmund in 2016 look closer than they’ve ever been to the Spanish giants. Perhaps on this night, they missed a chance to inflict another defeat on Real that would have really driven home the point.