Both teams failed to trouble the score-sheet and the tie now heads to Dortmund with everything to play for.

But despite failing to find the back of the net in front of their home crowd, a happy Pellegrini said he was content with his team’s performance, able to keep the ‘excellent’ Dortmund at bay.

And the 59-year-old was quietly confident Malaga could sneak into the semi-finals with a shock result in Germany.

“It was a very good game from both teams, who each tried to get into the opposition box,” Pellegrini told uefa.com. “The crowd were happy. Dortmund are an excellent side.

“If we look at their campaign in this UEFA Champions League season, they scored four goals at Ajax, also scored in Madrid and again away to Manchester City.

“It was an open game and the tie is absolutely open. Let’s start well in Dortmund.”

However, Malaga will be without both Weligton and Manuel Iturra for the return trip, and Pellegrini must devise a plan to keep Dortmund’s young brigade without the duo.

“(Weligton and Manuel Iturra) are important players; luckily (Martín) Demichelis didn’t get a yellow card as well, so we will see how we replace those two,” he said.

“Dortmund’s team are all good young players with great technique and dynamism.”

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Real sauntered through the match, scoring twice before half time thanks to a delicate chip from Cristiano Ronaldo after a Mesut Ozil through pass, added to by Karim Benzema who finished smartly at the back post.

Substitute Gonzalo Higuain grabbed the third, nodding home from Xabi Alonso’s free kick as Real landed one foot firmly in the semi-finals ahead of their trip to Turkey for the return leg.

Mourinho’s former charge Didider Drogba went close on several occasions but Wesley Sneijder was substituted at half time after cutting a peripheral figure in the first 45 minutes.

Mourinho told Sky Sports: “I think we played seriously. The Spanish press were not so respectful in relation to Galatasaray but we were very respectful.

“We knew they were a good team with fantastic strikers; they had danger and we prepared very well from a defensive point of view.

“We defended better than we attacked because in attacking terms I think we lost the last ball, the last pass, we had easy transitions – three against three, three against four – we could have scored more goals.”

Asked whether the tie was effectively over Mourinho replied: “If you score a goal they have to score five. I think the result is very good but in football I saw so many incredible things that nothing can surprise me and Istanbul is a difficult place to play.

“They have players with lots of experience, players with character, I think they will fight very hard against us. We have to go there very seriously because it is the only way to go through.”

As for his reunion with Drogba and Sneijder, Mourinho added: “I was with them at the end of the match, (Didier) and Wesley. They are family – they weren’t during 90 minutes but they are family.”

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