Howard Webb matches

This was always going to be a referee mission doomed for deep waters if Real Madrid was to get a 2-0 lead at any moment during this match. I wasn't really happy to see Howard Webb getting this match as I have been rather apprehensive towards the criteria UEFA seems to select their match officials nowadays. Many of the refs on the block are so much into "go with the match flow" approach that the current regularly washes them away (as we have seen on numerous occasions during Euro 2012 with Lannoy, Erikson, Thomson in my opinion). So now Howard Webb in this match: I wouldn't be as critical as some of you guys, but it was a typical Webb with all his typical strengths and weaknesses. He could have made this into a very good performance for which I would have awarded a 8,5, but due to his ignorance to some crucial stuff (ellbowing, handball appeal) it will ONLY be a below average performance in my mind.

Where he excelled...
Howard Webb has a clear body language, he is strong and he is not easily irritated. His foul detection was on the whole well-balanced in comparison to the flow of the match, he hesitated not one moment when deciding and he always tried to calm things down. The offside calls by the assistant referees were to my eye spot on, and he gave some excellent yellows (especially the opener for a nasty tackling by Concentrao). His presence is another plus, his physical fitness is above doubt, and he kind of got away with it tonight as it was not a real catastrophe. But I don't know what had happened if Real would have scored in the first half - his "We are all men and behave ourselves"-approach would have been torn into pieces then - agreed.

Howard, Howard
Where I shook my head more than once or twice was his sheer ignorance of the things that went on around him before his eyes. Sergio Ramos ellbowed Lewandowski at least four to five times to the head, and Webb did absolutely nothing. You warn him once, you book him twice and when he doesn't want to see the light, he's off. The ongoing mingle between Ramos and Lewandowski could have been prevented, Alonso's grip to the throat went unpunished (must be yellow). In line with UEFA's hand ball policy which I am not really happy with the Hummels conctact towards the end is a freekick and at least a yellow card. I don't want to write another paragraph about the new interpretation of that rule - all I'm saying is that the new way it is implemented makes it less clear and leaves more room for speculation.

Real Madrid was not on their heights
Real Madrid played lacklustre for 80 minutes as if they didn't really believe in their chance to win this. They gave away chances they needed to take and when Dortmund denied their gracious offer to finish them off by playing around, the match turned into a real thing but it only lasted for ten minutes plus additional time. Real Madrid would have turned the tide if they had scored ten minutes earlier - it was closer than comfort for Dortmund which is not a compliment after a 4-1 in the match at home.