UCL, game week 5 – Day 1 – Dortmund create history, Real Madrid win

Real Madrid face into their first league El Clásico of the season without one of their key players after Gareth Bale picked up an ankle injury on Tuesday night in the Champions League.

Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (right) vies with Sporting’s defender Ruben Semedo (left) during the UEFA Champions League football match Sporting CP vs Real Madrid CF at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon on Wednesday.

“The good thing is we didn’t give up”, said a relieved Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

Ronaldo, who joined Sporting’s famed Alcochete Academy at the age of 11, went on to play six seasons in Manchester before joining Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Madrid are now unbeaten in 30 matches across all competitions and Zidane added: “We want to continue what we are doing, knowing that in games there are times when you have bad moments”.

Madrid should be tired of Sporting Lisbon though as the Portuguese side nearly beat them in the reverse of this fixture.

Madrid appeared condemned to second place when Adrien Silva’s penalty cancelled out Raphael Varane’s 29th-minute opener, despite Joao Pereira having already seen red for inexplicably punching Mateo Kovacic in the stomach.

Madrid finally put the game to bed with three minutes remaining of normal time, though, as Benzema latched on to a cross from Ramos and glanced his header past Rui Patricio into the bottom corner.

Zidane’s team will finish top of Group F if they win their final match against current leaders Borussia Dortmund, who thrashed Legia Warsaw in a record 8-4 win.

Bale was also injured in Madrid’s previous clash with Sporting.

“When I send my team out I do so to try and win that particular game”, he said.

Bale has been influential for Madrid this season, performing easily as Cristiano Ronaldo struggled with form and fitness problems post Euro 2016, scoring seven goals in 15 appearances across all competitions. “It’s obvious that playing every three days is not easy and we lacked a bit of energy”. “We achieved what we came to get”.

In other games, history was created as Borussia Dortmund beat Legia Warsaw 8-4 in a insane game of football.

Coach Jorge Jesus said: “The difference between the two sides was only in the final result”.

Fresh from vanquishing Atletico Madrid with his 39th Real Madrid hat-trick, Cristiano Ronaldo will be guaranteed a hero’s welcome when he returns to where his career began at Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.