Ronaldo scores, Real still can't win

Dortmund held defending champion Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw in the second round of the Champions League group stage on the evening of September 27.

Dortmund celebrates after scoring against Real. Photo: Reuters

Goals: Aubameyang 43', Schurrle 87' - Ronaldo 17, Varane 68'

After three consecutive matches without scoring for Real (one game off), Ronaldo finally had a chance to celebrate when he fired a precise cross-angle shot in the 17th minute. However, against an effective Dortmund attack, Ronaldo and his teammates' joy could not last too long. Even when Varane increased the score to 2-1, the home team still found a way to equalize. Aubameyang's diving header and Schurrle's decisive shot were enough to keep a point at the Westfalen Stadium.

The draw with Dortmund was Real's third consecutive winless game in all competitions, following draws with Villarreal and Las Palmas in La Liga. In Group F of the Champions League, Real and Dortmund are currently joint leaders with four points after two matches. Sporting Lisbon are third thanks to three points from their 2-0 win over Legia Warsaw.

Compared to his performance in the last two matches, Ronaldo played more aggressively and had more shots. One of the clear evidences was the goal in the 17th minute: Bale backheeled a Dortmund defender, creating an opportunity for Ronaldo to shoot a cross-angle shot to open the score. CR7 also had another shot in the Dortmund net but it was disallowed due to offside. At the end of the match, Ronaldo missed a chance to increase the score to 3-1 when he shot with his left foot and the ball flew over the bar from 14 meters away.

If the other two strikers had also scored, Real could have won in Westfalen. Benzema was a disappointment when he repeatedly missed chances: he missed the ball when preparing to face the goalkeeper, he tapped the ball into the goalkeeper after a good cross, and he was too slow in situations that required quick coordination. Bale also lacked the scoring ability when he sent a header over the bar. The performance in Westfalen showed that the criticism of the BBC trio in recent times was not without basis.

Ronaldo scored after Bale's backheel.

With the attack not yet back in top form, Real's backline was under more pressure. As a result, there were many times when Dortmund pushed back and scored two goals past Keylor Navas.

As the best attacking team in Germany in recent times (scoring 20 goals in four matches), Dortmund constantly pushed Real into a defensive position in the second half of each half. If Navas had not played brilliantly, the defending champions could have been equalized early after shots from Dembele or Emre Mor. Despite their relentless attacks with bright moves, Dortmund finally made Real pay the price. In the 43rd minute, after Guerreiro's free kick was cleared by Navas, Aubameyang rushed in to exploit Varane's mistake to tap the ball in to tie the score 1-1. Similarly, when Dortmund equalized 2-2, Varane was the last player to block the ball for Real but could not stop Schurrle from unleashing a powerful shot into the near corner.

Losing their advantage with only a few minutes left, Real could do nothing more. Morata's introduction in the 88th minute proved too late. Not long after, Morata sent a cross across the Dortmund penalty area but could only send the ball over Bale's head.

Goalkeeper Navas could not stop Schurrle's signature left-footed shot.

Having failed to win in three consecutive games, Real will likely be looking to vent their frustrations in the coming weeks, starting with a game against Eibar this weekend, followed by games against Betis and Legia in mid-October.

According to VNE