Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has confirmed that he didn’t want to risk Cristiano Ronaldo, despite the ‘night of suffering’ which his side experienced in Dortmund.
The Los Blancos lost 2-0 in the second leg, but progressed 3-2 on aggregate to eliminate last year’s Champions League finalists.
"It was a night of suffering but at the end of it we are happy as we are through to the semi-finals," he told UEFA's official website.
"The game was a difficult one. In the first half, we gave (the ball) away too much. We improved after the break. We needed a lift in spirits and to change some things a bit in the second half.
"The team needed to be encouraged more during the break. For me, the key to the match was the penalty we missed."
Ancelotti confirmed that Ronaldo will be fully recovered for the semi-finals in two weeks and that he again rested his superstar after his recent knee problems.
"Cristiano was OK but we preferred not to risk him tonight," he added.
"He will be fully recovered for the semi-finals. At this stage of the tournament, every rival you face is going to be difficult."
Iker Casillas was Real’s Man of the Match after he saved a couple of efforts by the hosts and hopes the defeat was a wake-up call for his team mates.
"Maybe it's good for us to receive a wake-up call like that from time to time," the Real Madrid captain said.
"It's better that it came tonight and not in the upcoming games we have.
"The first goal we conceded was from our mistake and the second came from another error in midfield. We also missed a penalty.
"The good thing was that we then knew how to deal with being under pressure."
The Los Blancos have reached their fourth semi-final in a row, but failed to progress to the final in the previous three years.
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