Dortmund hold on despite late Real rally

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AFP Madrid
Last Updated : May 01 2013 | 9:15 AM IST
Borussia Dortmund qualified for their second ever Champions League final, beating Real Madrid 4-3 on aggregate despite losing the second leg of their semi-final 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Needing a huge turnaround from the first leg last week, Real seemed to have run out of steam after Gonzalo Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil passed up early opportunities yesterday.
However, after Robert Lewandowski had smashed the underside of the bar and Diego Lopez prevented Ilkay Gundogan with an incredible save from close range, Madrid were given a lifeline in the 83rd minute when substitute Karim Benzema swept home Ozil's low cross.
And six minutes later they had real hope of an incredible comeback as captain Sergio Ramos rifled a shot into the roof of the net.
But Dortmund withstood the onslaught in an agonising five minutes of stoppage time to seal their place at the final at Wembley next month.
Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp said Real may have been the better side on the night but it meant nothing as his side had achieved their goal of reaching the final and he was immensely proud of his players.
"It isn't too hard to reveal what I thought during those last 10 minutes: if God wished it then we would qualify for the final," said Klopp.
"But it has to be said that it was a crazy match, from start to finish.
"From the first second the Real players were doing everything they could to get the referee on their side."
Ramos, who wouldn't have played in the final anyway because he picked up a booking meaning he would have been suspended, said it was a pity Real hadn't played the same way in the first leg.
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First Published: May 01 2013 | 9:15 AM IST

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