Manchester United lost!
There was hardly any difference from the pre-match predictions, but compared to the guesses, Manchester United's performance in the match was still very limited.
Manchester United's lineup had many shortcomings, especially when facing a Champions League-level team like Bayern Munich.
When these shortcomings were exploited by Bayern Munich, their offense ultimately couldn't get going, and their defense couldn't be built up.
This defeat was purely due to lineup issues.
Cristiano Ronaldo saw that Modrić's expression wasn't good, and as a former teammate and good friend, he also felt a bit awkward.
"I'm very sorry!"
After the match, Cristiano Ronaldo initiative approached Modrić.
"What are you sorry about?!"
Modrić playfully punched Cristiano Ronaldo's chest, then said dejectedly, "This match was really hard to play."
Cristiano Ronaldo didn't speak; he could also see that Manchester United's current situation wasn't particularly good.
After he left, he paid little attention to Manchester United's problems.
But Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement did have a significant impact on the team.
Although Modrić and Rooney fought desperately to salvage the situation in this match, they couldn't overcome the overall passive situation.
After the match, they ultimately conceded three goals without scoring any, so they could only wait until they returned to home to think of a solution.
"You've really unleashed all your firepower," Modrić said, looking at Cristiano Ronaldo.
During his time at Manchester United, although Cristiano Ronaldo had gradually begun to transform into a pure striker, he sometimes still had to do longitudinal breakthroughs, which diverted some of his energy.
But at Bayern Munich, Cristiano Ronaldo had completely transformed into a striker born to score goals.
This also greatly increased his threat in front of the goal; it could be said that as long as the midfield created opportunities for Cristiano Ronaldo, he would not disappoint them.
Cristiano Ronaldo smiled and said, "I have to do something, otherwise, I won't be able to keep up with that guy!"
Modrić understood who the 'that guy' in Cristiano Ronaldo's mouth was; besides Suker, it couldn't be anyone else.
"Suker has been in hot form recently, and Real Madrid is not the same Real Madrid as last season. You need to be careful; they are definitely holding back, preparing for revenge."
"I understand, but we've already won one match, and I'm also really looking forward to playing a match against Suker in his prime and defeating him fair and square."
Seeing Cristiano Ronaldo's excited expression, Modrić nodded; "Alright, but if you want to meet him, you still have to get past me. When we return to Old Trafford, I won't let you win so easily."
Cristiano Ronaldo smiled and said, "I'm looking forward to it!"
After their final goodbyes, the two returned to their respective teams and entered the locker rooms with their teammates, ending the battle.
The match between Bayern Munich and Manchester United certainly contributed to the excitement of the Champions League.
After this match, fans were also looking forward to tomorrow night's clash between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
On the other side, after watching this match, the Real Madrid players all returned to their rooms to rest.
It's always exciting before a match, which isn't a bad thing.
But they had to overcome this excitement and fall asleep smoothly.
Fortunately, they weren't rookies and already knew how to control such emotions, slowly falling asleep amidst their slightly restless hearts.
The next day, Real Madrid traveled to Borussia Dortmund's home for a pitch inspection at noon.
Westfalenstadion, a five-star stadium in Europe, is also one of Germany's five major stadiums.
It is also one of the places known as 'the Devil's home' in Europe.
Crazy Borussia Dortmund fans ignite crazy fireworks here every week.
It can be said that few teams across Europe can compare to the atmosphere of Westfalenstadion.
All the seats in the stadium are yellow and black, which perfectly matches the color of their jerseys.
Four antenna-like yellow structures stand at each of the stadium's four corners.
Although the design isn't particularly strong, it reveals a unique German meticulousness and profoundness.
Back on German soil, Kroos became much livelier, perhaps feeling a sense of familiarity.
Of course, his liveliness was more based on certain physical gestures.
For example, if a teammate scored a brilliant goal during training and was about to raise his arms in celebration, Kroos would immediately pull his raised arm down and issue a warning.
"In this land, some gestures have ambiguous meanings. Even if you don't intend it that way, people will always associate them with certain things. Therefore, here, raise your arms less; this is my advice to you!"
After that, when Real Madrid players celebrated, they would choose to slide, their arms seemingly confined to their bodies, rarely raising them.
Even if he raised them, he would raise both hands together.
Of course, he would also tell some jokes, for example, on the bus back, when teammates complained about British food, Kroos would stand up and say that German food was also terrible.
And he would explain that hell was eating German food, riding German trains, and watching German TV shows.
He would also explain that German food is bad.
German trains are often delayed.
German TV shows are rigid and boring.
When this guy complained about his hometown, he truly held nothing back.
Suker always felt that Kroos had some opinions about Germany, but he couldn't pinpoint what those opinions were.
But it was somewhere between liking and disliking, a situation he reluctantly had to accept.
In the evening, the Real Madrid players each replenished some food.
Of course, not everyone chooses to eat before a match, but Suker would consume some food to fuel the high energy expenditure during the game.
Entering the Champions League quarter-finals, Suker would not miss any match.
Ancelotti also wouldn't substitute Suker early; now was when Suker truly needed to exert himself.
Moreover, Borussia Dortmund was not a weak team; Real Madrid had to take them seriously.
In the evening, Westfalenstadion was fully lit, surrounded by a large crowd of Borussia Dortmund fans.
They wore yellow and black jerseys, and under the enthusiastic yellow light, the entire stadium resembled a yellow ocean.
People excitedly sang and chanted the names of their favorite players.
Among them, Reus was at the forefront.
After stars like Mandžukić, Robert Lewandowski, and Götze successively defected to Bayern Munich, players like Reus, who were strong but refused Bayern Munich's recruitment and chose to stay at Borussia Dortmund, became even more valuable.
It can be said that when Reus rejected that offer, he was fully recognized by the Borussia Dortmund fans and became their darling.
"Reus will shine at Westfalenstadion!"
"Victory belongs to Borussia Dortmund!"
"Following the footsteps of champions!"
The German night was a bit cool, but at this stadium, it was exceptionally hot.
It was as if everyone was in a furnace, and the air temperature had risen considerably.
Especially when both teams' players emerged from the player tunnel to warm up, the roar of the fans in the stands was deafening.
On the south stand, a giant TIFO suddenly rose.
On the yellow and black expanse of the stands, a TIFO was pulled up from bottom to top.
It was an image of a person wearing a top hat and holding binoculars, with a slogan below it.
This was the famous 'Binoculars Looking Towards the Champions'!
However, this TIFO appeared in this match.
It must be said that when this thing appeared, it was indeed shocking.
At this moment, Borussia Dortmund players and fans were connected; they jointly felt the fervor in their hearts and their desire for the championship.
Since missing out on the Champions League title last season, Borussia Dortmund's ambition has also grown strong.
They so hoped to take that step, to truly step onto the Champions League podium.
And they were only a little bit away from that step.
Having experienced the bitter taste of missing a goal at the last moment, they cherished every match even more.
No matter how strong their opponent was, they would fight with all their might for victory.
This is the feeling Borussia Dortmund gives its fans in every match, and this is why Klopp's Borussia Dortmund is known as 'the Mad Dogs'.
They are crazy!
Their tireless running, their athletic performance under extreme conditions, their desire for victory.
All of these tell everyone not to expect to easily defeat Borussia Dortmund.
And today, they faced a heavyweight challenge.
The team with the most Champions League titles, the true King of the Champions League, Real Madrid, would face them head-on.
"On this Wednesday night, perhaps you've had a busy day, experienced numerous injustices and contempt, but here, you can vent it all out!"
"Guys, let's ignite the Westfalenstadion!"
A brief statement from the on site DJ made the stadium erupt, and people cheered with raised arms.
"Victory belongs to Borussia Dortmund!!!—"
The earth-shattering cheers seemed to make the ground tremble.
The collective roar of eighty thousand fans truly ignited the night.
Even in the locker room, the players could hear waves of cheers from the fans, these sounds penetrating the walls and various crevices to reach their ears.
The power carried by that sound would make opponents feel intimidated and boost their own morale.
"So noisy! I'll turn this place into a library in a bit!"
Pato boasted shamelessly.
His teammates around him didn't respond to this; turning the Westfalenstadion into a library was simply too difficult.
Besides, Pato wasn't even starting, so what was he yelling about.
At this moment, Ancelotti had finished his final tactical arrangements, clapping his hands and shouting, "Alright, gentlemen, the preparations are done. Now it's up to your performance. Win this match and take three points from the Westfalenstadion!"
The Real Madrid players all shouted in response, then followed Ramos's footsteps, walking out of the locker room together.
The Borussia Dortmund players were already ready, standing in the player tunnel ahead of time.
From this detail, it was clear that they were eager to start the match, and their overall morale and confidence were high.
Of course, facing Real Madrid, there was bound to be pressure, but in terms of belief, they would not be weaker than their opponents.
Hummels's eyes were constantly fixed on Suker.
As a center-back and the defensive backbone of Borussia Dortmund, his task was to mark Suker.
It could be said that his performance was crucial to whether they could gain an advantage in this match.
Hummels's performance under Klopp had also become increasingly outstanding, given great trust and resources, which also allowed him to better command the defense.
He wouldn't dare say he could completely restrict Suker; after all, no one had ever done that.
But minimizing Suker's impact was still achievable; the rest depended on his teammates' performance in attack.
Soon, both teams entered the field, and at this moment, the venue was completely ignited.
The starting lineups for both teams are as follows:
Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Weidenfeller.
Defenders: Piszczek, Hummels, Papasthatopoulos, Durm.
Midfielders: Großkreutz, Kehl, Mkhitaryan, Şahin, Reus.
Forward: Aubameyang.
Real Madrid (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Casillas.
Defenders: Srna, Ramos, Pepe, Arbeloa.
Midfielders: Isco, Kaka, Kroos.
Forwards: Bale, Benzema, Suker.
In front of the coaching bench, Klopp wore his unique Borussia Dortmund baseball cap, constantly rubbing his hands. Although the weather wasn't that cold, he continued this action.
From this small detail, it could be seen that Klopp was a bit uneasy.
Although he had done enough to motivate his players before the match, raising their morale and instilling confidence, he knew in his heart whether it would actually produce results.
The conditions were too demanding, and could Suker really be defended against?
He constantly instilled "You are the best" into Hummels, which indeed provided Hummels with confidence, but Klopp himself knew that Suker was too difficult to contain.
Once a gap was created on the left wing, he really didn't know how to defend.
Real Madrid was not a team that only played through the left wing.
Although Suker was the biggest threat, once they over-committed defensive resources to the left wing, Real Madrid would immediately switch sides, and they would surely be torn apart by Bale on the other side.
Benzema in the middle also needed to be wary of.
It could be said that Real Madrid's attacking combination was simply a huge headache.
Now, the only hope was that they could produce results in attack and relatively curb Real Madrid's overall tactical play.
This required the performance of players like Reus, Mkhitaryan, and Aubameyang.
Regardless, the tactics had been laid out, and Klopp had deployed his most reasonable formation. Now, it was up to the players' performance.
In the first half, Real Madrid kicked off first.
The Borussia Dortmund players stood in their half, already eager to move.
Facing Borussia Dortmund, one must be careful of their pressing. Borussia Dortmund's full-field pressing and running were tricky, and after winning the ball, they wouldn't waste time with extra passes but would directly launch a counter-attack.
The Real Madrid players kept these key points in mind.
At this moment, the Referee began to retreat from the center circle and blew his whistle.
Suker lightly pushed the ball forward with his foot, Benzema immediately followed up and passed it back, and the match began.
"This is the 2013/2014 Champions League Quarter-final match, Borussia Dortmund at home against Real Madrid!"
"Klopp's team immediately showed strong attacking intent, swarming Real Madrid with intense pressing!"
"And Real Madrid seemed well-prepared. In the midfield, Isco and Kroos, playing as double pivots, mostly controlled the tempo. Kaka, in the attacking midfield position, also dropped back to receive, and even Suker and Bale on both wings tucked in, strengthening the stability of their passing!"
Real Madrid gathered nearly five players in the middle, which was to prevent a lack of passing options, which could lead to Borussia Dortmund intercepting and launching direct counter-attacks.
Moreover, this also had an advantage: in counter-attacks, Benzema was still a passing option in the attacking third, and with Suker's and Bale's speed, the two could fully utilize the acceleration lanes on the flanks and sprint all the way to the opponent's penalty area.
Seeing Real Madrid's approach, Klopp felt a bit uneasy.
Real Madrid's response indeed hit their weak spot; if a fast attack was launched, it would be very bad.
The good news was that Borussia Dortmund's high pressing was gradually taking effect.
"Go up! Surround him!"
"Follow up from behind!"
"Cover for me!"
Isco managed to pass the ball away, then couldn't help but complain to himself.
These guys' pressing intensity was like lunatics; how could they run so much.
Kaka also dropped back a certain distance to receive, and seeing the midfield being severely harassed, Suker turned and gestured to Bale, then dropped back to his own half as well.
"Suker has also dropped back! It seems Borussia Dortmund's pressing has indeed put a lot of pressure on Real Madrid!"
Suker dropped back along the sideline.
Kroos caught a glimpse of the white figure on the wing out of the corner of his eye and knew who it was without thinking.
He didn't even think twice and directly distributed the ball.
Giving the ball to the star player and letting the star player operate is common knowledge for Real Madrid.
And Suker was already ready to receive the ball. The moment he received the ball, Borussia Dortmund also turned and immediately swarmed him.
But Suker didn't receive the ball in place like others; instead, he stopped it with a step, pushing the ball a short distance diagonally forward to facilitate direct acceleration.
Sure enough, the next second Suker pushed off sharply and sprinted forward rapidly.
There was almost no technical component; it was just Suker forcing his way through.
But with Suker's powerful explosiveness, he still managed to break out of the crowd.
"Oh no!"
Mkhitaryan immediately turned to chase, but before he could foul, Suker had already used the outside of his foot to directly strike the ball to a position in front of Bale.
Seeing such an opportunity, Bale immediately took the ball and sprinted forward.
"He broke free!! Suker! It had to be Suker! Such unreasonable explosiveness!"
González roared.
With that explosiveness, who needs technique!
Just dribble and sprint, and it's over!
"Bale is about to enter the penalty area!"
Bale sprinted forward, and just as he was about to burst into the penalty area, a figure suddenly darted out from diagonally in front of him.
Seeing the opponent's fierce sliding tackle, Bale, out of self-preservation, immediately jumped up.
The next second, the ball was cleared by Hummels with a slide.
"Hummels with a brilliant and decisive tackle! He helped Borussia Dortmund clear this danger!"