Good morning!

As I type this, it’s half-time of the Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund match and Roy Keane is talking about something I can’t hear because I mute the TV and listen to some music or make a brew at half-time of any football match.

So far Real Madrid have created the best chances – three excellent chances at that – and are desperately unfortunate not to have put at least one of them away. Mesut Ozil missed the best opportunity of the first half, dragging a left-footed shot wide of the near post on the right-hand side of the penalty area when he’d been put clear of the Dortmund defence when they were split by a pass from midfield. In addition to the Ozil chance, Cristiano Ronaldo volleyed straight at Roman Weidenfeller from close range and Gonzalo Higuain had a shot saved by Weidenfeller as early as the second minute.

After twenty minutes of immense pressure from Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund begun to force a lid on the pressure, managing to keep possession for small periods in midfield and even created a few openings of their own. With Real Madrid needing three goals, they were always going to leave themselves short defensively on ocassion and the openings which Dortmund created often looked promising as they were granted space in the final third, but the killer ball was always lacking, whether it was over-hit or the wrong option was taken.

Elsewhere, Sergio Ramos was doing his best to fill the irritating shoes of Pepe by constantly fouling Robert Lewandowski with the odd, sly elbow to the face. Jose Mourinho had remarked that Lewandowski had scored four in the first leg and not one of his players had tried to foul him. By that, I think he means that his players showed far too much respect. Ramos certainly let Lewandowski know he was there last night.

Both sides entered the break at 0-0, a score which Jurgen Klopp must have been relieved to hold after a torturous opening to the match. Could Real Madrid score three in the next fourty-five minutes? Against a Borussia Dortmund side which continued to grow stronger defensively as the first half wore on, it seemed very unlikely, no matter how talented Real Madrid are.

This match report is now in the 56th minute and Robert Lewandowski has missed two extremely good chances. One ball bobbled to him on the edge of the area and unmarked, Lewandowski inexplicably nailed the ball out of the Bernabeu, when he had ample opportunity to take a touch, wrap the ball in gift paper and kick it very hard in the net. A few minutes later, Lewandowski put a huge dent on the underside of the crossbar when – I think it was Reus – gave the ball to Lewandowski who had overlapped the German international on the right wing.

Sergio Ramos just clobbered Lewandowski with another arm to the face and then pulled the Pole back when he went for a header in the penalty area. One, that’s a penalty and I’m now typing in the 65th minute and Sergio Ramos, remarkably, hasn’t been booked for any of the five thousand offences he’s committed. Seriously, you know King Joffrey from Game of Thrones? Yep, he’s far more likeable than Ramos.

… Ah, sorry, I’ve picked this back up at full-time and my oh my; what a finish to the match!! I’m going to skip about half an hour, in which Borussia Dortmund missed a couple of glorious chances (I’m looking at you, Lewandowski) and go straight to Karim Benzema, who put the ball past a seemingly invincible Weidenfeller to get the Dortmund nerves wobbling. Five minutes later, with the Real Madrid pressure gauge ramped up to maximum, Sergio Ramos turned in a pass from Benzema at a corner to make for a horribly nervous last seven minutes (inlcuding extra-time) for even the neutral.

It was unbelievable, I was sat on my settee in the complete neutrality of my Arsenal football shirt and I was desperate for Borussia Dortmund to hold out for the overall win in the two-legged tie. I’m delighted personally for Dortmund and it’s great to think that about seven years ago, the men in charge at Dortmund said, “Right, we’re doing things this way now and we’ll do it right.” A short time later, they’ve won the Bundesliga title twice in a row, winning a double in the second of those triumphs and are now in the Champions League Final. It’s a great achievement and I can’t praise them enough.

That’s all from me on this one. I’m still ill, but the adrenaline of Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund – well, the last ten minutes – carried me through this one.

See you tomorrow! Have a good day!