Real Madrid Vs. Borussia Dortmund, Champions League Semifinal: Real Falls Short (2-0)

Two goals in the last 15 minutes were just not enough. In a great European atmosphere, Real Madrid tried to come back from the 4-1 deficit earned at the Signal Iduna Park with misfortune. Gonzalo Higuaín, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Özil had three great scoring chances against Weidenfeller, but they failed to score Real's first goal. That would have changed the game quite a bit, as they team was visibly knocked down after those big chances.

Borussia played really well when they were able of sustaining that high pressure on Real Madrid's midfielders. After that, Real tried hard to score, but Mats Hummels prevented los blancos from having good chances. At the end, Karim Benzema found the net, minutes before Ramos scored Real Madrid's second goal. Borussia then started to waste some time, and Mourinho's men even had another chance off a corner-kick, but Howard Webb ended the game.

We had an emotional recap last week, and Real Madrid deserve the same after today's match. The crowd was simply outstanding before, during and after the game. There were hundreds of people waiting for the team's bus to get to the Bernabéu, just to cheer and support the players. It's hard to state how good Modric and Ramos played tonight. Both of them were terrible in the first leg but completed what arguably was their best game under Real Madrid's jersey by far.

Sergio Ramos scored his goal visibly injured and was seen crying on the pitch when the referee concluded the match. It's hard to understand Ramos as a man, but he deserves credit for standing up tonight. He might not be the most reliable defender, and nor a proper right back, but he certainly deserves to be on the pitch when it all comes down to courage and heart.

Kaká joined the game with Karim Benzema, replacing Coentrao and Higuaín. Coentrao played brilliantly throughout the whole match but Real Madrid needed to go for it without a single hesitation. Kaká helped the team a lot since he joined the pitch and created good chances for his teammates. Higuaín had a good chunk of the tie in his boots when Weidenfeller saved his first and only chance. His goal-scoring record in the Champions League is something Real Madrid should take a look at before making any decision on his situation.

Mesut Özil didn't shine neither. It was a perfect context for him and Modric completely outplayed him, both in defensive work-rate and offensive contribution. He tried hard, but this simply wasn't his night. The same happened to Xabi Alonso. The Spanish midfielder was as slow as I've ever seen him. He always reads the game well but Real Madrid needs to move on and start building a Xabi-less tactical system.

After the game, Mourinho insinuated that he will leave the club this summer, saying that he wants to be "where people loves" him. This wasn't the right moment to speak about his future, but if Mourinho is set to leave, Real Madrid will lose the coach that put the club back in the European elite.

Real Madrid now have a big Copa del Rey Final against Atlético Madrid in three weeks. Some players like Ronaldo, Ramos and Di María will need to recover their bodies from today's physical match in order to be ready for that match.

The crowd gave the players an standing ovation to thank their effort. This tie was a tough pill to swallow for every Real Madrid fan, but in the end, Real Madrid stood tall and show the world they are a proud team.