DPA/Dortmund
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Robert Lewandowksi netted all four goals as Borussia Dortmund beat Real Madrid 4-1 in their Champions League semi-final first-leg clash yesterday at the Westfalenstadion.
Having seen Bayern Munich demolish Barcelona 4-0 a day earlier in the other semi-final in Munich, Lewandowski’s goalscoring heroics mean it is now odds on that next month’s final in Wembley will be an all German affair.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo’s away goal just before the break mean Real Madrid retain faint hopes overturning the three-goal deficit in next week’s return leg at the Bernabeu.
Polish international Lewandowski has now scored 21 times in his last 19 games for Dortmund while only Lionel Messi, who scored five in Barcelona’s 7-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in 2012, has scored more goals in a Champions League match.
Mario Goetze showed why newly-crowned German champions Bayern spent 37mn euros ($48mn) for his services from next season with a superb cross on eight minutes for Lewandowski to steer home his first from close range.
Ronaldo tested Roman Weidenfeller with a long-range free-kick midway through the first half before pulling one back on 43 minutes after a dreadful error by Mats Hummels. The Dortmund defender woefully underhit his backpass which was intercepted by Gonzalo Higuain who calmly crossed for Ronaldo to tap home.