GettyImagesMesut Ozil leaps in the air after scoring the goal which ensured Real Madrid avoided a home defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund

Mesut Ozil's late, late equaliser ensured Real Madrid stayed on course for a crack at the knock-out stages of the Champions League - and a crack at a tenth European crown - but it couldn't hide the defensive frailties that all of Los Blancos' upcoming opponents will be well aware of.

It had to be Ozil, a German against the German champions, a man who has seemingly been in Jose Mourinho's bad books this season and has struggled for any kind of form in the Spanish capital after a superb last campaign. The strike was the attacking midfielder's first goal in a Madrid shirt this season - a sign of the troubles he's been enduring in the Madrid camp. Maybe it's the haircut? Maybe not.

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Madrid deserved a point in what was the proverbial 'game of two halves'. Dortmund dominated much of an open first half and deserved their lead at the break. Mourinho made changes in the second half and they paid off. Chance after chance - enough to grab all three points, not just one - but eventually both sides settled for a point. Not bad given the scoreline was repeated at the Etihad Stadium in the other Group D match between Manchester City and Ajax. Both Madrid and Dortmund remain favourites to progress. They've been the best two teams in the group by a distance so far, although all has yet to be done and dusted.

While we can praise Madrid's second-half tenacity and never-say-die attitude that also saw them snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in their opening Champions League match at home against Manchester City, and praise Mourinho's substitutions, which changed the game in the hosts' favour when the German champions were very much on top, the defending left a lot to be desired, and a huge improvement needs to be seen if Los Blancos are to stand any chance of winning La Decima.

We all know the current back-four is a makeshift one. Injuries have hit hard, and in an area that wasn't particularly strong in the first place, at left-back. Marcelo sidelined and Fabio Coentrao out, too. Michael Essien has been tried there and the Castilla players, as has been well publicised, have been ignored. Alvaro Arbeloa, although naturally a right-back, should have enough defensive nous to do a job there in the meantime. Raphael Varane, although inexperienced, is a star of the future and has been trusted at centre-back before.

The truth is, the whole defence was pretty much one big mess whenever Dortmund pushed forward, especially in the first half. You can look to blame one man but it was a collective failure that allowed the visitors in for their first-half strikes. Confusion between Pepe and Varane saw the former go to contest a header when it really should have been the young Frenchman going for it. Dortmund win the flick on and Reus, who had already lost Arbeloa, his marker, was allowed the time and space to drill home the opener.

If problems at the left weren't enough, how about some problems on the right? Ramos way out of position for Dortmund's second, allowing Kevin Groskreutz all the time in the world to put Mario Gotze in to chip Iker Casillas. It was probably a fair reflection of the night that UEFA later put the goal down as an own goal for Arbeloa, and rightly so. A defensive mix-up, a defensive nightmare for Madrid.

At least Mourinho had the tactical nous to change things at the interval and the changes eventually paid off. Luka Modric and Xabi Alonso didn't work and the introduction of Michael Essien in the centre steadied the ship, a like-for-like for the missing Sami Khedira, shoring up the defence and allowing Alonso to edge further forward and orchestrate the attacks. Jose Callejon had the hunger and desire that was missing in other Madrid players on the night, and wrongly had a goal disallowed for offside. The 'Special One' threw caution to the wind late on, bringing Kaka on for Arbeloa with 13 minutes remaining, and it worked.

Let's not take anything away from an impressive Dortmund team who should be in the mix come the 'business end' of the competition, though. The Germans already proved they're more than a match for Los Blancos with victory in their home match and have come out with four points from six against Madrid - enough to see them top the group.

It'll be Madrid's defensive coaches that are hardest at work back on the training pitch, however, while the physios probably won't be getting much rest in getting Marcelo and Coentrao back to full fitness. Madrid's European defensive record is worrying. While they have the best defensive record in La Liga, conceding just seven goals so far this term, and two at the Santiago Bernabeu, they've conceded the same amount in their four Champions League games. Madrid haven't had to play at their best in La Liga to get comprehensive results, but they're having to against the best sides on the continent.

A draw may be enough to eventually see Los Blancos into the latter stages of the competition, but the performance won't be if they want to lift that long-awaited tenth European Cup.

Follow me on Twitter @nicholasrigg

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