Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund: Late Marco Reus equaliser sees holders finish second in group
Real Madrid 2 Borussia Dortmund 2: Benzema's double gave Madrid a 2-0 lead
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Your support makes all the difference.Zinedine Zidane admitted he wanted to avoid Juventus in Monday’s Champions League draw and if his wish is granted then it may well be Leicester or Arsenal rolling up at the Santiago Bernabeu after Real Madrid blew top spot with just three minutes left against Borussia Dortmund.
“I don’t want to face Juventus for two reasons,” he said. “But we can’t do anything about that we just have to wait for the draw.”
The Italian Champions are also Zidane’s former club so will be the team to avoid. After this game Madrid will be relieved they cannot draw Dortmund.
It was a late goal from a lightning counter attack from the German side that changed the group positions at the death – a strike straight out of the Real Madrid manual.
Zidane still gets to keep up the unbeaten run that now stretches to 34 games. If Real Madrid win at the weekend against Deportivo then Zidane will beat Leo Beenhakker’s club record – a nice way to head off to Japan for the World Club Cup next week.
“My feelings are mixed. We let them off the hook,” said Zidane after seeing Karim Benzema’s double wiped out by a goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and that leveler from Reus.
“The game was there for us to win but you have to stay alert right until the end. But we got the draw,” he added. “They are first and we are second. We did everything to finish first but it was not possible. I’m very proud of the players there were a lot of good things out there. We just needed to be more concentrated in the last ten minutes.”
Karim Benzema had set Madrid up for the win. He had spent the last 48 hours hearing all about how Dortmund striker Aubameyang would love to replace him at Real Madrid. He showed he had no intention of relinquishing his hold on the number nine shirt by sweeping in Dani Carvajal’s drilled cross and then heading in James Rodriguez’ centre.
But Aubameyang was not to be outdone by Benzema and after scoring from close range on the hour he then got the better of Ramos after Marcelo had been robbed high up the pitch.
Madrid edged the first half and before getting themselves in front on 28 minutes they almost scored two picture book goals. Casemiro set them away on one lightning break, which ended in Ronaldo playing in Benzema only for Roman Weidenfeller to save. And then James Rodriguez started and so nearly finished a move which involved Lucas Vazquez and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ousamane Dembele and Christian Pulisic both kept Dortmund in the game after Benzema’s goals and Aubameyang capped a fine night by finishing as his team’s hero.
He was millimeters from the leveler but just failed to reach substitute Emre Mor’s cross having got his first goal and then with three minutes left he turned Sergio Ramos brilliant and gave Reus a gift of a pass that he gleefully accepted.
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