Offshore drilling, UEFA Champions League: at Borussia Dortmund 2, Real Madrid 1

Oct 24, 2012, 6:36 PM EDT

Man of the Match: Marcel Schmelzer had spent his day pestering Ángel Di María into an uncharacteristically erratic performance before he got his chance to shine. In the 64th minute, with the score tied 1-1, a Dortmund cross was punched out of the Real Madrid area, the result ball sitting up perfectly for the BVB left back. Showing a composure we rarely see on a shot that’s usually launched into the stands, the German international kept his knee above the ball as he stroked the game-winning goal into the left half of Iker Casillas’s net, helping Borussia Dortmund upend the defending Spanish champions.

Packaged for takeaway:

Coming off the heals of their weekend loss to Schalke, this win was huge on a number of levels for Borussia Dortmund. Obviously, it’s an incredible way to rebound from derby disappointment, but it also puts to bed any concerns this team that has won consecutive Bundesliga titles might not be able to relay that success into Champions League. The win gave us our first glimpse of BVB’s true, Europe-contending potential.
Wednesday’s delivery system for that potential was their intensity. We’re used to Borussia Dortmund’s exhausting play in Germany, but we haven’t seen them put together that kind of performance in Champions League. Tonight, it happened, with every Real Madrid movement inside BVB’s half drawing an immediate reaction from Dortmund’s pressing defense.
That intensity helped create the first goal. A terrible pass by Pepe in the 36th minute was intercepted and transitioned to Robert Lewandowski, who took advantage of the Real Madrid defender’s positioning for an open shot on Iker Casillas. The game’s first goal beat the Spanish international just inside his right post.
BVB’s approach did burn them once, giving us a reminder of how the approach can be exploited by Europe’s best. In the 39th minute, Lukasz Piszczek – who had been so good to that point tracking Cristinao Ronaldo – allowed Real’s leading scorer to beat him onto a long ball over the defense from Mesut Özil. When Roman Weidenfeller misread the play and got caught in no man’s land, Ronaldo had an easy lob for the score.
Madrid’s moment of magic was a reminder that another team’s control can often play into their counterattacking hands, though Wednesday’s game was different. Dortmund didn’t control the game as much as they dictated it, which helps explain why Real struggled so much.
BVB played most of the match not the counter, conceding Real possession until they approached halfway. Then, Dortmund’s activity in the space above their high defensive line would invariably produce turnovers that funneled them into attack.
Where Real Madrid can normally rely on their counter to maintain a threat even when they’re outplayed, Borussia Dortmund’s tactics gave them few chances to transition.
Instead, it was Dortmund creating all the chances, with two nice saves from Iker Casillas in the 51st minute preventing the hosts from taking an early second half lead.
But Casillas, who also had a strong first half, started to falter, and in the 64th minute, one of his mistakes helped provide for the winning goal. On a cross from his left, Casillas came for an awkward punch, barely pushing the ball to the edge of the penalty area. Schmeltzer was there to collect for the game winner.
Though Real Madrid wasn’t at their best, this wasn’t a bad performance. Wednesday’s result was more about BVB being great (and Real not matching them) than any deficiency on Real’s part. Expect Los Merengues to have a new respect for Dortmund when the teams meeting at the Santiago Bernabeu in three weeks.
With the win, Borussia Dortmund moves first in Group D. Perhaps as important, they are five points up on Manchester City, who were upset in Amsterdam.