Published on 12:00 AM, September 27, 2016

UEFA Champions League

Dortmund test for Real

Defending champions Real Madrid play away to a rampant Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League fixture on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

European champions Real Madrid head to rampaging Borussia Dortmund for their Champions League Group F game on Tuesday in a frazzled state with their buoyant start to the season having been punctured by successive La Liga draws.

Real gave away a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at Las Palmas on Saturday, after their joint-record 16-game winning streak in La Liga was halted by Wednesday's 1-1 home stalemate against Villarreal, which saw their lead at the top cut to a point.

Dortmund, meanwhile, have been on a sizzling run since losing to RB Leipzig on Sept. 10, scoring 20 goals in four straight wins against Legia Warsaw in the Champions League and Darmstadt, Wolfsburg and Freiburg in the Bundesliga.

Dortmund, who thrashed the Polish club 6-0 away in their opening group game, are second in the German top flight and on Friday equalled a club record of 24 games without defeat at home in the Bundesliga with a 3-1 win over Freiburg.

Even in the midst of Real's sensational winning run, Zinedine Zidane's side were criticised by the media for unconvincing performances and their sloppiness was punished by Las Palmas in their last La Liga outing.

Midfielder Tana hooked home a poor clearance from Real's Raphael Varane to cancel out Marco Asensio's opener and, after Karim Benzema had restored Real's lead, Sergio Araujo sneaked into the box from the left to level in the 85th minute.

Real's lacklustre displays have been compounded by the absence of midfield anchor Casemiro and influential left back Marcelo through injury and the form of talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.