The man tasked with stopping Robert Lewandowski, who grabbed four goals against Real last time out, will be Sergio Ramos. The Andalusian defender has been geeing himself up for this battle in the last three training sessions, with the 'Los Blancos' defence in desperate need to save face after the Pole ran riot last week.
Ramos has been going over Lewandowski's humiliating quadruple in his head non-stop and the contest between the pair promises to be an engaging one, as the striker's star turn last time around certainly bruised a few egos.
Scoring four against a defence flush with international talent is bound to provoke a reaction. And a response is precisely what's needed, regardless of whether Real ultimately manages to pull off the comeback of all comebacks by scoring at least three times while keeping Dortmund at bay at the other end.
Having been omitted for the squad for Saturday's Madrid derby, Ramos should be in tip-top shape to take on the Pole. Pepe, meanwhile, who played the full 90 minutes against Atlético, will drop to the bench. Mourinho's defensive reshuffle will see Essien trusted at right-back, with Coentrao on the left and Varane partnering Ramos.
It is the potent mix of supreme instincts, elusiveness and directness that makes Lewandowski so dangerous. His movement in the box – both on and off the ball – is top-notch, he is extremely adept at shaking off his markers and he takes up all the right positions.
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