Match of the Week Preview: Article 1
BVB 09 Dortmund vs Real Madrid CF
FS1 2:45pm EST
8:45pm Local Time
It’s match Day 2 of the UEFA Champions League Group Stage! This stellar showpiece, taking place in Dortmund, Germany between Bundesliga and La Liga Giants will make the eleventh time in history that the two will clash. With Madrid earning a slight edge over the first ten matches with a 4-3-3 record over the Black and Yellows, we will surely see a terrific contest tonight. In the ensuing paragraphs, I will provide some key notes to look for during the game, such as the battle between Pierre-Emrick Aubameyang vs Cristiano Ronaldo, the effect of the stadium atmosphere, and a possible X-Factor for Dortmund. I will also explore two poignant questions, will either defense rise to the occasion, or will this be an electric up and down offensive battle?
The first thing that any footballer notices, especially if you are the visitor, is the energy inside the stadium whilst walking out of tunnel. As a fan I absolutely must witness this part of the match. A crowd roaring in excitement or joining in song, truly sets the tone for the game. And tonight, expect the players to be affected by it all as Signal Iduna Park will be irreverently rocking. For BVB, the players will be affected positively, instantly being pumped up from their 12th man. Meanwhile, Los Blancos will be affected negatively, thinking to themselves here we go again. See, despite Real’s European dominance: holding the most European and Champions League Trophies of all-time with 11, they are a meager 0-2-3 when playing in Dortmund. Thus, once the likes of Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Marcelo hear and see that raucous crowd, they’ll be thinking in the back of there heads that this is going to be a long evening.
Once the whistle blows however, the match is expected to have great pace, as both squads like to push the tempo and attack as quickly as possible on counter attacks. Therefore, whichever team’s middle field and back four can hold up the best on counters may end up winning this one. So, keep an eye on Madrid’s Centerback Sergio Ramos for Real, who conceded a penalty last week due to a handball in the box vs Villarreal. And on the other side of the pitch watch Centerbacks Sokratis Papastathopoulos (what a name, gotta love it) and Marc Bartra try and clear chances away from Los Blancos’ BBC (Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo). Bartra will be very familiar with Madrid as he is a La Masia grad and former first team member of rival club Barcelona. Although, it is worth mentioning that he failed to impress at the Camp Nou resulting in a move to Dortmund.
The matchup that everyone is waiting ever so impatiently to see, though, is who will steal the show. Will it be Galactico Cristiano Ronaldo or BVB man Pierre-Emrick Aubameyang? Ronaldo, regarded as one of the best footballers of all-time, looks to add to his record Champions League goal tally of 94; meanwhile, Aubameyang’s eyes are capitalizing on center stage to show the world his goalscoring prowess which lead him finishing second last season in goals. Only to be succeed by Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski in the Bundesliga. Both men are likely to net tonight, but they will do it in different ways. Ronaldo, while fast, scores plenty with his head, while Aubamenyang relies on is absolute blazing speed to create space and high scoring chances inside the box, particularly on the break.
Lastly, keep an eye on the young US Men’s National Team Member Christian Pulisic. Just turned 18 years of age, this Pennsylvania born, Croatian decent youngster is a real gem for Dortmund. He recently became the youngest player at age 17 to start in a Champions League match and with tremendous pace, vision, and technical ability and he could be the X-Factor for Dortmund in this one. So with that, make sure you grab a cold one, sit back, relax, and enjoy this epic battle between European Heavyweights.
LSB Prediction: 3-2 BVB 09 Dortmund