Real Madrid stormed into the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-0 win over German side Wolfsburg. The La Liga outfit had trailed 2-0 from the first-leg but a hat-trick by Cristiano Ronaldo booked their place in the next round of the competition.
Madrid seem to have turned their season around after their El Clasico win and now will look to take advantage if Barcelona slip-up in the La Liga title race.
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We look back at this game and provide the five talking points:
Real Madrid make history at the Santiago Bernabeu
Prior to tonight, Real Madrid had failed eight times to overturn a first-leg deficit in the Champions League since 2005. Their last loss came against Juventus in the semi-final last season.
You’d have to go back to 2001- the last time Madrid overturned a first leg deficit. That was against another German side, Bayern Munich and against Wolfsburg, they lived up to their legendary status in this competition.
Los Blancos showed intent from the very first minute as they passed the ball quicker when compared to the first-leg. Madrid’s midfield ensured that the visitors never settled on the ball with their incessant pressing off the ball.
At the pre-match press conference, Zidane had urged his players to remain patient. But Los Merengues took all but seventeen minutes to restore parity. While Wolfsburg did ask questions of the Madrid defence, the home side’s early blitzkrieg made it all the more difficult for the visitors to mount a comeback of their own.
Wolfsburg lose the midfield battle
Madrid’s faithful made their displeasure known with their side’s defending in the first leg. But tonight they were rock solid at the back and rarely gave the visitors a chance to run behind the back line. Wolfsburg, on the other hand, displayed some shambolic defending and showed a tad too much respect to their opponents.
Apart from a couple of half-chances in the first half, they gave away the ball far too easily in the middle of the park. As a result, Madrid’s players made merry on the counter.
Real’s midfield trio of Kroos, Modric and Casemiro sat deep and didn’t have much of an impact attack wise on the game. But they ensured the German visitors were outnumbered in midfield.
As clichéd as it may sound, the side that dominates the midfield, more often than not ends up winning the match. This is exactly what transpired today. The likes of Gustavo and Guilavogui couldn’t do much to stop the onslaught.
Madrid sorely missed Dani Carvajal in the first-leg
You could call Zinedine Zidane a tactical genius or you could term it as plain luck. Danilo had a horror show in the first leg in Germany as he was caught out of position on numerous occasions. Understandably the first choice right-back, Carvajal was introduced in place of Danilo for the home leg.
The move paid instant dividends. The Spaniard assisted Ronaldo for his first goal and looked lively throughout the ninety minutes. Defensively he looked sound and timed his tackles to perfection.
The twenty-four-year-old seems to have formed a potent partnership with both Ronaldo and Bale on the right wing. Most importantly, Dani knows Ronaldo’s game better than Danilo and thus ensures the Portuguese thrives.
Apart from his assist, Carvajal whipped in a couple of dangerous, low driven crosses into the box. Unfortunately, none of his team-mates were present to benefit from them.
Wolfsburg’s dream run comes to an abrupt halt
Wolfsburg had already made history even before kicking the ball over the two legs. Facing Real Madrid, The German side had entered the quarter-finals of Europe’s top club competition for the first time in their history.
Prior to tonight, Dieter Hecking's team had won their last five Champions League games, their best ever run in the tournament. But against Madrid, the visitors were harried off the ball and were never allowed to settle on it.
The first leg heroes- Schurrle, Maximilian Arnold and Henrique couldn’t impose themselves on the match. Bruno Henrique had a couple of chances to break on the counter but failed to release a pass on the right occasions.
Just proves how important big match experience plays when the odds are stacked against you. Wolfsburg will now turn their attention back to the league where they currently occupy the eighth position with nine games remaining.
Ronaldo’s dedication is the benchmark his team-mates should aspire to reach
Real Madrid have now entered the semi-final of the Champions League for the sixth consecutive time. A joint record they hold alongside Barcelona who have the opportunity to regain the record against Atletico Madrid in the other quarter-final.
Madrid’s win against Wolfsburg meant that they have now made it to the last four on twelve occasions. But they had one man to thank in particular. No prizes for guessing. It was none other than Cristiano Ronaldo.
Madrid’s star man looked pumped up as he took to the pitch and he didn’t disappoint. The thirty-one-year-old scored his fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth goals respectively in the Champions League. The first a typical poacher’s goal. His second was a sublime header from an acute angle. The third – a dipping free kick from thirty yards out. If Los Blancos are to have any chance of winning Undecima, Zidane will have to get the best out of his other players as well.
