Madrid: Real Madrid failed to win their Champions League group for the first time in four years when a late goal by substitute Marco Reus allowed Borussia Dortmund to equalise and clinch a 2-2 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu, here Wednesday.
Zinedine Zidane’s side looked to be on their way to securing first place in Group F when Karim Benzema knocked in Dani Carvajal’s cutback in the 28th minute and the French striker stretched their lead by nodding in James Rodriguez’s cross in the 53rd.
Dortmund hit back on the hour with a close-range finish from Pierre-Emerick Auba-meyang and a goalline clearance from Reus stopped Cristiano Ronaldo restoring Real Madrid’s advantage shortly afterwards.
The Germany international, who had begun the game on the bench after falling ill Tuesday, tapped in a low cross from Aubameyang to complete the comeback and score his third goal in two Champions League games.
Real equalled a club record of 34 games without defeat in all competitions but the late equaliser left a sour taste on what had been a night of celebration.
Dortmund finished top of the group with 14 points, two ahead of Real Madrid, who will play the second leg of their last-16 tie away from home for the first time since 2012-13.
The result, however, left Zidane fuming and he did not mince words when he spoke to reporters after the game.
“When you see how the second half went you get a bit angry. We had the game in our hands but this is football. You need to carry on right until the end,” Zidane told a news conference.
“We created a lot of chances to score the third goal. Instead, we allowed Dortmund back into the game. Dortmund deserved first place. They demonstrated how strong they are. And when you blow a two-goal advantage, the players are at fault. They have to take the blame.”
Finishing second could yet prove to be a blessing for Real, who will avoid fellow runners-up Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain as well as fellow Spanish sides Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, but could meet Zidane’s former side Juventus.
3 former Los Blancos players under scanner
Spanish prosecutors have brought tax fraud charges against three former Real Madrid players, Xabi Alonso, Ricardo Carvalho and Angel di Maria and opened investigations into two other players, a prosecution source confirmed here Thursday.
However, none of the cases are related to the ‘Football Leaks’ scandal, which has accused a host of Madrid players, including three-time ‘World Player of the Year’ Cristiano Ronaldo, of hiding income from image rights in tax havens in recent days.
Prosecution sources said the Spanish Inland Revenue department has not provided them with any details over Ronaldo’s tax dealings. Ronaldo has strongly denied any wrongdoing via his representatives ‘Gestifute’.
Prosecutors presented charges on three counts of tax fraud amounting to three million euros ($3.2 million) against Bayern Munich midfielder Alonso between 2009 and 2011. Argentine winger Di Maria is now at PSG, whilst 38-year-old veteran Carvalho was released by Monaco in August. The identity of the other two players facing investigation was not revealed.
However, Spanish media reported Real defender Fabio Coentrao and Monaco striker Radamel Falcao, formerly of Atletico Madrid, are the two in question.
In a statement Madrid prosecutors insisted they ‘will always pursue infringements against the public coffers, whenever there is a crime’. The prosecutors also asserted that they will work on case and bring all the players to justice, if proved guilty.
Reuters
