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Real Madrid Vs. Borussia Dortmund, Champions League 2013 Semifinals: Madrid Aims At Miracle Win

Real Madrid will try to come back from a 4-1 deficit this Tuesday (20:45 CET). This will be the team's most difficult task in Mourinho's tenure with los blancos. Cristiano Ronaldo will be available and Mourinho has decided to speak only about football.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno

Real Madrid will need to improve a lot if they want to obtain the 3-0 score that would give them a ticket to Wembley. Borussia Dortmund have beaten Real Madrid twice in just three matches played this season, the other one being a 2-2 draw at the Bernabéu.

Given how bad Mourinho's usual tactics have gone against Dortmund, the Portuguese coach could try to implement another starting lineup. The team will need to score an early goal to get the crowd involved and Dortmund's players scared. Expect a big rush of offensive play as soon as the referee kicks the game off, with Ronaldo and Di María shooting from outside the box.

It will be important for Real Madrid to recover the ball properly in the midfield to prevent Reus, Götze and Lewandowski from having good chances off counterattacks. Ramos' presence in the team's center back position will be valuable for Jose Mourinho, as Real's number 4 tries to anticipate and go for the steal in multiple occasions. Essien will likely be the team's right back after coming back from his injury, and that's another improvement. The African player lacks the speed but he is a very talented player when it all comes down to make tactical decisions. And his good crossed could be useful.

Benzema played the whole 90 minutes against Atlético Madrid, so Gonzalo Higuaín appears to be the starter for Mourinho. The Argentinian's accuracy in the European competition is terrible, scoring just 9 goals in 47 matches, but his aggressiveness and work off the ball will be valuable in this kind of game. If he just could improve his goal-scoring record this Tuesday, Real Madrid would have a much easier job to do.

Mesut Özil and Cristiano Ronaldo will be Real Madrid's most important players, though. They've been the team's best players and if they have a good night a 3-0 score could be even short compared to their potential. Özil is the key to this match. If he's able to find Ronaldo in good positions often, the Portuguese player will surely deliver. But Real Madrid needs to have another playmaker on the pitch just in case Özil is defended properly. That's where Modric fits. The high tempo of the match could drive Xabi Alonso crazy, so Mourinho could deploy Sami Khedira as the team's defensive midfielder and let Modric have more freedom.

Coentrao will need to play deeper as well and let Essien be more defensive-minded. The Portuguese left back is a good offensive threat but he hasn't shown that in his two seasons in the club. Marcelo would be a very good asset this Tuesday, but he's still injured, so Coentrao will need to contribute more offensively to spread the pitch.

Lukas Piszczek remains questionable for Tuesday's game, and that would be Dortmund's absence. A booking for Sergio Ramos or Michael Essien would make them miss the Final at Wembley if Real Madrid go through.

It doesn't seem very likely, but Real Madrid is certainly capable of beating anyone 3-0 at the Bernabéu in any given night. The team surely needs some help and the support of the crowd, but it will all ultimately depend on whether the players are focused enough to keep a clean sheet playing offensively. If Real Madrid is able to be dangerous off set pieces and Özil creates good chances for his teammates, Real Madrid will be able to achieve the miracle. Lead the game 1-0 or 2-0 at halftime and anything can happen.

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