Obsession or Passion?
Jose Mourinho once spoke of Barcelona's obsession to be better than Real Madrid, to surpass them in everything...their obsession with winning more European crowns than their rivals. Mourinho said an obsession is impure, it is not the right motive to play football.
Real Madrid last won a European title 11 years ago, Madrid's president brought in Jose Mourinho to stop this drought because since then Barcelona have won the trophy 3 times. Perhaps the obsession for glory is now with Real Madrid. Madrid come up against a familiar opposition, Borussia Dortmund finished top of the group with Real Madrid finishing in second place. Dortmund were able to beat Madrid 2-1 at home and draw 2-2 spectacularly at the Santiago Bernabeu. Both teams were able to grab uncomfortable passages through to the semi-final and will be hoping for less drama tonight.
The sweet smell of success coming into this game has some-what been polluted by the sudden news, fans favorite and key man Mario Götze will be leaving at the end of the season to join rivals Bayern Munich.
The news was bad timing for the club, who were preparing for this big clash...the fans have voiced their frustrations but Jurgen Kloop
has said, ''Dortmund comes first, this is too big for us to concern ourselves with any other issue''. Although he himself is disappointed with the news, he has called for the fans to back the team on this monumental night, the atmosphere is sure to be electric.
As for Madrid...all looks positive, there doesn't seem to be any major injury scares and the team is still winning and scoring goals domestically. Madrid will also be charged up by the news Barcelona lost 4-0 last night in their semi-final, so all the motivation is there for Los Blancos. The only problem I can see for Madrid is the the thought in the back of their minds, countless occasions they have failed to cross the finishing line in these positions.
Their mentality has become stronger season by season but this will be the true test, Madrid need to be as professional as possible in this tie. Think back to last season's semi-final, Madrid thought they had the game wrapped up but ended up losing on penalties. Jose Mourinho will remind the players about this and ensure they do not make the same mistakes, London is calling and both teams are eager to be there.
Key Players
Real Madrid
I've selected Ronaldo, Ozil and Xabi Alonso.
Madrid are arguably the best side in Europe when turning defense into attack, Madrid will look to pounce on Dortmund's fragile defending and make their few opportunities count. The defending and tactical awareness will need to be sufficient, Mourinho would have learnt from their previous meetings with Dortmund and look to improve. I believe attack will be the best form of defense, an away goal or two is crucial and Madrid can score goals. Xabi Alonso provides the steal, experience and precise passes for the team. Ronaldo and Ozil provide the creativity and the lethal finishing.
B.Dortmund
I've selected Lewandowski, Mario and Hummels
Dortmund at home are a force to be reckoned with, and they don't have to look that far back on how to beat Real Madrid. The blueprint is there but improvements will need to be made, Hummels is a vital defensive leader. Santana came in last fixture and although scoring the winning goal looked very suspect, with the pace and lethal execution of Real Madrid the big man will be needed to keep things tight. In the attacking areas, Dortmund have no real issues because the link up play between their front 3 is superb. I could not select all three but I believe Lewandowski and Götze will provide the skill and the goals to help drive their side to victory.
Probable Line-Ups
Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
This is sure to be an enticing fixture, hopefully not as one sided as the clash we saw last night between Bayern and Barca. The atmosphere is sure to be an incredible one, best of luck to both teams. My prediction for the first leg, a narrow Real Madrid victory...as much as Dortmund are good at home, I think the motivation and hunger of Real Madrid will be too great for them.
2-1 (Real Madrid Victory)
Thanks for reading and if you'd like to follow me on Twitter catch me @Denisao4
Peace & Love
No comments:
Post a Comment