Real Madrid heads into Tuesday's Champions league semifinals tilt against Borussia Dortmund in a relatively precarious circumstance. Down three goals in the aggregate the team must win 3-0 in order to move on to the final. A 4-1 victory would force extra time while a 5-2 win would eliminate them from contention.
The loss on Wednesday was highlighted by inefficient attacking, missed opportunities and an inability to contain Dortmund's most potent attackers. However, not all is lost for the Spanish side. Here are reasons why Real Madrid can still win by the aforementioned magic number.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Madrid rises and falls by its Portuguese superstar. Ronaldo was pretty absent for long stretches of the match but he spearheaded a revival late in the first half by scoring a goal and creating a plethora of opportunities. The main problem for Ronaldo is that his teammates were nowhere near him when he cut into the middle of the pitch; they all seemed afraid to get in his way. Ronaldo created a number of chances near the end of the match and almost scored his second goal on a tip.
Ronaldo came up huge for Madrid in their match against Manchester United and was the motor behind the team's quarterfinals win against Galatasaray. Say what you will about Robert Lewandowski's lethal scoring ability, but when given the space and time, Ronaldo is easily the best player on the pitch. Borussia's defense did a solid job against him for most of the match, but the German side was not completely impenetrable. Look for a big game from Ronaldo in front of the Spanish fans.
Jose Mourinho
The Portuguese coach made a plethora of mistakes in the first leg, but he is his own worst critic. He will not turn a blind eye to his errors and will rethink his plan. He has won two Champions league titles and is hungry for a third. He will undoubtedly implement a more aggressive strategy and judging from his team's results over the last few months, it is obvious that they have taken his lead and followed.
Home Field and Fans
Real Madrid has yet to lose at the Santiago Bernabeu all season long. In the Spanish league the team holds a record of 14 wins and two draws in 16 matches; they have scored 53 goals and conceded only 14 times. In the Champions league Los Blancos have won three and drawn two at home. That does not guarantee a 3-0 win, but it is clear that Madrid is invincible at home this year. Everyone knows that the passionate fan base will be at his loudest to try and spur the team on. It will certainly be a tremendous atmosphere and the team will likely relish it.
One more note must be made. Real Madrid destroyed Galatasaray 3-0 at home before losing 3-2 on the road. No one is comparing the Turkish team with Dortmund, but Madrid knows that they can pull it off.
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