"Still Hope" Says Jose Mourinho after Real Madrid lost 4-1 in Dortmund
José Mourinho said
that Real Madrid would turn round their semi-final
deficit against Borussia Dortmund or die trying after they were thrashed 4-1 in Germany on Wednesday night, all four of the hosts' goals coming
from the coveted Polish striker Robert Lewandowski.
Madrid conceded those four just 24 hours after Barcelona had done the same against
Bayern Munich but Cristiano
Ronaldo's away goal gave them a glimmer of hope for the Santiago Bernabéu on
Tuesday and the Portuguese coach insisted: "Nothing is impossible in
football."
Dortmund's manager, Jürgen Klopp,
agreed that the tie was not over and insisted that whatever happened next this
would be a historic night for the club. "That was like Robin Hood taking
from the rich," he said, adding that he would not be leaving at the end of
the season and that he did not expect Lewandowski to depart either. There have
been reports of an approach for the striker from Bayern Munich and of offers
from English clubs, too, but Klopp insisted the 24-year-old would stay.
Mourinho said: "It is obvious
that Dortmund were the better side. They were more aggressive physically and
mentally and they won virtually all the duels. I have the feeling that every
goal was a mistake. And we had one or two more [mistakes] that could have [made
the score] worse too but our goalkeeper made good saves.
"Over the last three years at
Madrid I have met lots of people and they have told me lots of things about the
club, including the importance of the Bernabéu [on European nights],"
Mourinho continued. "Things seem impossible but they are not. There is
still hope. If you asked the players now if there is a chance, they would say
'no'. Ask them in an hour and they will say 'yes'. By next Tuesday they will be
ready to go for it and give everything.
"Of course we can do it. On a
crazy night where everyone performs at a high level and you score every chance,
you can do it. What you cannot do is get knocked out without dying on the
pitch. If we are knocked out I want [Dortmund] to suffer and I want the Madrid
players to leave the pitch with absolutely nothing left to give."
Klopp added: "This will go down
in the club's history books. I hope soon they will show a film in the club's
museum of the goals by Lewandowski tonight but that will only happen if we win
on Tuesday. The goals were incredible; the third is worth every single cent of
what the TV channels pay for the rights.
"I would never have dreamed that we would score four
in a semi-final of the Champions
League. If we lose 3-0, we're out. If 4-1, it's extra-time. So it's not over
but whatever happens we will give our best and let's not ruin the pleasure of
this night.
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