Borussia Dortmund whip Real Madrid as Spain humbled again
Another German Champions League triumph is evidence of a dramatic European power shift
Borussia Dortmund 4 Real Madrid 1. It's not been a good 24 hours for Spanish football. On Tuesday night Barcelona were routed 4-0 by Bayern Munich in the semi-final of the Champions League and on Wednesday it was the turn of Dortmund to demonstrate that the balance of power in European football has shifted dramatically north to Germany.
Having said that, it was a Polish striker who annihilated Real Madrid. Robert Lewandowski scored all four of Dortmund's goals in a virtuoso display of finishing that left the Spanish reeling.
Cristiano Ronaldo managed to find the net for the visitors but the Portuguese marksman was overshadowed by the brilliance of the 24-year-old Lewandowski, who became the first player to score a Champions League hat-trick against Real.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"It was an unbelievable display from my team," declared Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp. "I gave all my players a hug because they fully deserved it. That was pure football tonight, my players were unstoppable."
Dortmund began the night as the only unbeaten side in the tournament and it took Lewandowski just eight minutes to latch onto Mario Gotze's cross and volley them into the lead. Though Ronaldo levelled for Real just before half-time – his 50th goal in the Champions League – after the break it was all Dortmund as the German side crushed their illustrious opponents. With a killer touch in front of goal, Lewandowski twice pounced on loose balls to give his side a 3-1 lead, before adding a fourth from the penalty spot on 67 minutes.
"He deserves great credit for his performance but we didn't make it as difficult for him as I would like," said Real coach Jose Mourinho of Lewandowski.
For Mourinho the result was the biggest defeat in 106 Champions League encounters but the man hoping to become the first coach to win the competition with three different clubs had no complaints about the outcome. "They were the better side by far," reflected Mourinho. "They won their individual battles. They were better organised than us, better physically and better mentally."
Dortmund's win, coupled with Bayern's emphatic victory, means that Germany lead Spain 8-1 on aggregate after the first legs of their semi-finals, evidence perhaps that La Liga isn't all it's cracked up to be with Real and Barcelona playing too many matches against weak opponents. The past 24 hours also make a mockery of FIFA's World Club XI, which was announced in January and supposedly brings together the best players from around the world in a dream team.
This year the XI featured five players from Real, five from Barcelona and one from Atletico Madrid.
But the days of Spanish dominance are over and next season even FIFA, with its long history of baffling decisions, will find it impossible to ignore the fact that German club football is now the strongest in Europe.
The final at Wembley next month is sure to be an all-German affair, though Mourinho hasn't given hope that Real can somehow come back from the dead. "In football anything is possible," he said. "On a crazy night when everyone performs at a high level, when every chance is a goal, we can turn it around."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The mental health crisis affecting vets
Under The Radar Death of Hampshire vet highlights mental health issues plaguing the industry
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Onion is having a very ironic laugh with Infowars
The Explainer The satirical newspaper is purchasing the controversial website out of bankruptcy
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'Rahmbo, back from Japan, will be looking for a job? Really?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
English football and the etiquette of leaving the stadium early
Talking Point The belief that 'true fans stay to the end' does not always apply
By The Week UK Published
-
The European Super League: a 90th-minute reprieve?
Why everyone's talking about A European court ruling has potentially breathed new life into the breakaway football league
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup: glitz, glamour and 'grimly inevitable'
Talking Point Critics claim country is guilty of sportswashing as it stands unopposed to host tournament
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Fifa World Cup 2026 expansion: for the global game or for Fifa’s greed?
Talking Point The men’s tournament co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the USA will have a record 104 matches
By Mike Starling Published
-
Where will Cristiano Ronaldo go next?
feature Portugal captain has been linked with a mega-money move to Saudi Arabia
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Reactions to Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘explosive’ interview with Piers Morgan
feature Portugal captain feels ‘betrayed’ by Man Utd and believes he’s being forced out of the club
By Mike Starling Published
-
What next for Cristiano Ronaldo? How the relationship with Man Utd turned sour
Under the Radar Portugal star has ‘almost certainly’ played his last game for United as he is dropped for Chelsea clash
By Mike Starling Published
-
Premier League all-star game: ‘incredibly arrogant’ or natural ‘evolution’?
Talking Point Managers and pundits dismiss US-inspired idea from Chelsea co-owner
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published