Lewa knock unlikely to dent Dortmund focus

Semifinal 2 1st leg TodayDortmund vs Real Madrid 20:00 SS3BERLIN – An injury scare to Bundesliga top scorer Robert Lewandowski is unlikely to derail unbeaten Borussia Dortmund’s focus ahead of their Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid on Wednesday as they bid for their first final spot since 1997.Poland international Lewandowski, who scored for a 12th consecutive league game in their 2-0 win against Mainz 05 on Saturday, picked up a knock on his thigh but said he hoped to be fit in time for the match in Dortmund.“I felt some pain in the final minute (after a first-half knock) and hope it does not swell up,” he said after Dortmund secured their Champions League spot for next season. “I hope there’s enough time until Wednesday.”Lewandowski is Dortmund’s most prolific scorer in Europe this season with six goals and two assists in 10 games.For coach Juergen Klopp’s young team, which won consecutive Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, it is a career highlight, with the 1997 Champions League winners back in the last four for the first time in 15 years.“This is the biggest game so far that my boys will have to play,” Klopp told reporters. The last time they reached this stage - in 1998 - it was Real who eliminated them en route to the title.The nine-time European champions are no strangers to Dortmund this season either with the Germans beating them in Dortmund and Real escaping with a last-gasp 2-2 draw in Madrid in the group stage.Marcelo absenceReal’s 3-1 La Liga victory at home to Real Betis on Saturday came at a cost, with fullback Marcelo and midfielder Luka Modric picking up muscle injuries.Goalkeeper Diego Lopez and forward Karim Benzema complained of knocks but assistant coach Aitor Karanka said neither seemed serious.With right back Alvaro Arbeloa suspended, coach Jose Mourinho will have to shuffle his defence and is likely to switch Sergio Ramos over to replace his Spain team mate and bring France centre back Raphael Varane into the middle alongside Pepe.

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Lewa knock unlikely to dent Dortmund focus