Already behind in the Bundesliga title fight, still well in the race in the Champions League: At AC Milan, BVB wants to make it into the Champions League round of 16 early.
Borussia Dortmund is heading into the final stretch of the hammer Group F with high hopes. Just looking at the table reduces respect for the difficult task at AC Milan on Tuesday (from 9 p.m. live in the audio stream and in the ticker on sportschau.de) in the cult stadium San Siro. The two recent victories over bottom side Newcastle United helped them move into first place and fueled belief in the round of 16.
“I wouldn’t have dared to dream that we would have a chance of progressing on the second-to-last matchday when the draw was made in Monaco,” commented club boss Hans-Joachim Watzke, not without pride. With a win against the 19-time Italian champions, coach Edin Terzic’s team would follow Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig into the round of 16 of the Champions League – and generate additional income of around ten million euros.
Watzke: “We live for games like this”
But even if there was a draw, the decision would only be made on the last matchday on December 13th at home against the previous runners-up Paris Saint-Germain. “We live for games like this,” said BVB boss Hans-Joachim Watzke, setting the tone for the showdown in the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium. “This will be a tough task. But we know the situation in the table and want to write a nice story there,” said sports director Sebastian Kehl before the start of the special flight EW1909.
Without Süle – with Adeyemi and Haller
The ill national player Niklas Süle remained in Dortmund, while the offensive players Karim Adeyemi and Sébastien Haller, who were recently absent due to illness, were on board. The use of Marcel Sabitzer (muscular problems) is still questionable.
Regardless of the staff, Kehl promised the leaders of the tricky Group F a hot dance: “I know the stadium very well, it will be emotionally heated. We have to be awake from the first minute.”
BVB wants to use match point
In contrast to the league, BVB has recently managed this quite well in the premier class. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel kept three clean sheets in a row, including in the first leg against Milan (0-0). “You always look forward to the great games. We have to step on the gas, we have to work hard,” said captain Can.
Because in addition to the chance of reaching the round of 16, the risk is also great. If BVB loses in the San Siro district, they risk falling to third place before the final group game against Paris St. Germain. But Can didn’t want to think about that in his gray Champions League suit. “We are at the top of the table, we don’t need to hide,” said the national player, and Kehl was also “very excited.”
But the Black and Yellows shouldn’t show the face of the league on Tuesday. Eleven goals conceded and only one win is the sobering record of the last four matches. Therefore, they will try to be “aggressive and not make it easy for them,” assured Can.
