Madrid tries to overturn 3-goal deficit in Champions League semifinal vs Dortmund

MADRID – Real Madrid needs to overturn a three-goal deficit to reach its 13th European Cup final. It's a deficit Los Blancos have overcome before.

"This is our last chance to put things right," Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira said ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League semifinal against Borussia Dortmund. "In the first leg, we didn't convince as a team and we produced a weak performance. Now we have to achieve the impossible."

Not quite.

Real Madrid lost the first leg of the total-goals series 4-1 last Wednesday in Germany.

Madrid recovered from the same deficit against England's Derby with a 5-1 overtime win to advance to the 1975-76 Champions Cup quarterfinals. In the third round of the 1984-85 UEFA Cup, Madrid beat Anderlecht 6-1 in the second leg after opening with a 3-0 loss on the road. And in the same round of the following year's UEFA Cup, Madrid routed Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-0 in the second leg after losing 5-1 in Germany.

"It was clear in the beginning, when the draw was made, that we'd have to go there and fight to get through," Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp said. "We've improved our starting position. Of course, Madrid believe they can get through. It won't be a stroll in the park."

A day later, Barcelona tries to rally from a 4-0 deficit against Bayern Munich and reach the May 25 at London's Wembley Stadium.

After missing Saturday's 2-1 Spanish league win at Atletico Madrid because of a thigh injury, Cristiano Ronaldo has returning to training. He scored his 50th career Champions League goal in the first leg, giving him 51 goals in 50 games for Los Merengues this season.

Klopp made 10 changes to his starting lineup for Saturday's 2-1 win at Fortuna Duesseldorf in the Bundesliga.

Robert Lewandowski, who scored all four goals against Madrid in the first leg, came on as a substitute, and the Poland striker's Bundesliga scoring streak ended at a club record 12 straight games.

"The lads did brilliantly," Klopp said. "Pride is the right word, because it can't be taken for granted."

For Tuesday's match, Dortmund has injury concerns over defender Lukasz Piszczek, who was left out against Duesseldorf with a groin strain, and Ilkay Guendogan, who had neck problems. Mario Goetze didn't play last weekend because of muscular problems but should be fit to play in Madrid.