Champions League Classics: Dortmund 2-0 Real Madrid, 2014

Borussia Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp had played down his team's chances after a 3-0 quarter-final first leg loss. "Do you think I'm an idiot?" he said. "We lost 3-0 and now we have to shut up. This is not a situation for hope or big speeches." But, of course, there is always hope for any team playing under the distinguished German coach.

Context

Madrid were on a revenge mission having suffered a 4-3 aggregate defeat by Dortmund in the previous season's semi-finals. Robert Lewandowski put the Merengues to the sword on that occasion, scoring four goals in the first leg alone, but the Poland striker was suspended for the opening instalment of their 2013/14 quarter-final reunion.

Madrid ran out 3-0 winners in front of their own fans, Gareth Bale, Isco and Cristiano Ronaldo – with his record-equalling 14th UEFA Champions League goal of the campaign – doing the damage. That left Klopp's side facing an uphill struggle.

Key players

• Marco Reus: Rejoined Dortmund, where he learnt his trade as an academy player, from Borussia Mönchengladbach in January 2012. Helped them to 2013 UEFA Champions League final and has since become a long-standing club captain. His double here came during one of the most prolific campaigns of his career.

• Robert Lewandowski: Enjoyed a hugely successful four seasons at Dortmund – his four goals against Madrid among the highlights – but has taken his game to a whole new level since joining Bayern in 2014. Among the most lethal strikers in world football.

• Iker Casillas: Made crucial late saves to deny Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Kevin Grosskreutz but was already well cemented as one of the most decorated keepers in the game; has three UEFA Champions League, two EURO and one FIFA World Cup winners' medals in his collection.

What happened

The famous Yellow Wall was in exceptional voice and their team had evidently been instructed not to die wondering; the absence through injury of Cristiano Ronaldo had boosted their chances of ascending the mountain in front of them. It could have become altogether insurmountable after 17 minutes but Ángel Di María's penalty was saved by Roman Weidenfeller.

The tide turned on 24 minutes when Reus pounced on Pepe's backwards header before skipping past Casillas and threading beyond the scrambling Sergio Ramos. Reus added a second on 37 minutes after Lewandowski had struck a post, but the hosts could not find the third they required; Madrid were left with their keeper to thank.

Reaction

Jürgen Klopp, Dortmund coach: "You could make a video of this game and show it to the teams that lose a first leg 3-0. The lads gave it everything they had and I have no idea how many kilometres they ran today."

Sergio Ramos, Madrid defender: "I have a lot of respect for the way Dortmund played. They have a great team and tonight they had the support of their fans too – they didn't reach the final last season for nothing."

Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach: "It was a night of struggling, of suffering but at the end we are just happy to have made it into the semis."

Marco Reus, Dortmund forward: "We did everything we could right from the start and played with real courage going forward. We came mighty close to surprising everyone."

Elsewhere that night

Demba Ba's 87th-minute goal earned Chelsea an away-goals victory over Paris. The Blues had lost 3-1 in the French capital but goals from substitute André Schürrle just after the half hour and Ba at the death sparked a familiarly exuberant touchline celebration from manager José Mourinho.

Aftermath

Madrid took out Dortmund's Bundesliga rivals Bayern in emphatic fashion in the last four, recording a remarkable 5-0 aggregate win. They went on to meet city neighbours Atlético in a memorable Lisbon final, eventually prevailing 4-1 in extra time, but only after Ramos's 93rd-minute rescue act.