Real Madrid were denied victory for the third straight game as Andre Schurrle condemned Los Blancos to a 2-2 draw in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Keylor Navas made his first appearance of the season in Madrid’s goal after an injury-hit summer and start to the campaign as three other changes from the weekend’s 1-1 draw at Las Palmas saw Danilo, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema all enter the fray.
In a pulsating match, packed with quality and chances, Ronaldo needed just a couple of minutes to force Roman Burki into a save from his free kick, but the No 7 blocked a set-piece at the other end with his arm, which Mark Clattenburg ignored.
Staying in Madrid’s box, Dani Carvajal’s backpass provoked an under-pressure Navas into a rushed clearance and Ousmane Dembele fired a shot just over.
Dembele paid the price for his selfishness moments later as Madrid broke back at the speed of light, Gareth Bale back-heeling in the penalty area for Ronaldo, who smashed a finish past Burki from close range.
The Frenchman pressed for the equaliser when he came inside from the right again, running onto Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's layoff, and he shifted past Danilo before his shot deflected inches over the bar.
Aubameyang turned Sergio Ramos in Madrid’s D and clipped the bar with a powerful shot, although it wouldn’t have counted as the attacker was offside, but a shocking punch from Navas on a free kick struck Raphael Varane, who deflected the ball into his own net via the Gabonese on the stroke of half-time.
The linesman was bang on the money again with a Ronaldo chance in the first half’s dying embers as he was a step offside when peeling off his marker at the back post and looping a header past Burki.
Dembele continued to cause Danilo all sorts of problems as he feinted past the Brazilian shortly after the restart but couldn’t keep his shot down. Aubameyang then curled a deft finish towards the bottom-right corner of Navas’ net, which the goalkeeper punched away properly.
Ronaldo may have given Los Blancos the lead, but he failed to do so a second time when he evaded his marker from Ramos’ deep cross and could only guide the ball wide. Benzema followed up by scuffing a finish into Burki's grateful palms after Bale broke clear down the right and picked out his strike partner at the near post.
The opportunities began to come thicker and quicker, an unmarked Bale heading a corner inches over the bar, but Varane made amends for his own goal as he bundled home a corner from Benzema’s finish that hit the frame of Burki’ goal.
A poor Ramos header allowed Raphael Guerreiro to unleash a piledriver immediately at the other end, but the goalkeeper came to Madrids’ rescue on that occasion and with an important save on Schurrle’s drive from the left after the winger exploited space left behind by Carvajal.
The right-back was then involved in a shirt-pull on Aubameyang before a cross came in, although Clattenburg wasn’t interested.
Two more shooting opportunities fell Ronaldo’s way, the first of which saw him blast an effort on target, Burki having to make the save, before he spooned into orbit.
Carvajal cleared away from an empty Madrid net as Navas could only push away a shot from the right down low, and Dortmund substitute Emre Mor maintained the Dortmund pressure, swerving an effort on target that the custodian tipped around the post.
Nonetheless, Dortmund were rewarded for their as Schurrle, despite seemingly nursing a knock, met Pulisic’s cross down the left and rifled into the roof of the Costa Rican’s net after Carvajal recklessly threw himself towards the ball – and missed it.
Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Real Madrid
Aubameyang 43, Schurrle 87 (D) Ronaldo 17, Varane 68 (RM)
Borussia Dortmund: Burki; Piszczek, Sokratis, Ginter, Schmelzer; Weigl, Castro; Dembele (Pulisic 73), Gotze (Schurrle 58), Guerreiro (Mor 78); Aubameyang
Real Madrid: Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Danilo; James (Kovacic 70), Kroos, Modric; Bale, Benzema (Morata 87), Ronaldo
Referee: Clattenburg [ENG]
