Champions League
Terzic Warns Dortmund To Not Make Any Mistakes Against Clinical Atletico
Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic emphasized the importance of precision when facing Atletico Madrid, acknowledging the formidable challenge ahead. Dortmund, who were champions in 1997, are gearing up for their Champions League quarter-final clash against Atletico. The first-leg match is set to take place on Wednesday, with Atletico having secured victories in two of their last three encounters with Dortmund in European competition.
Atletico has evolved a lot in attack, and it is a great challenge for us. We know we can’t make mistakes,” Terzic told reporters on Tuesday.
“They are in a position to impose their style of play and we must rise to the occasion”. “Atletico’s success is well known, and they have implemented a new art of defending. It is difficult for any team in the world to deal with.”
Dortmund’s last appearance in the semi-finals was in 2013, and Terzic is resolute in his determination to demonstrate that his team deserves to be back in that stage of the competition.
“Some guys have left us in recent years to find their fortune in the top flight elsewhere,” he said. “We now want to show that you can also reach the semi-finals of the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund.”
Captain Emre Can was scheduled to join Terzic at the press conference was replaced by midfielder Felix Nmecha due to illness.
“He’s doing pretty well so far,” Terzic said when asked about Can
“He felt slightly ill this morning before departure. We’ll therefore give him a bit of a rest today – in front of you and on the pitch. We’re confident that he’ll be able to feature tomorrow.”
Dortmund had been enjoying a good run of form, securing five consecutive wins in all competitions before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Stuttgart on Saturday.
Both Atlético de Madrid & Borussia Dortmund have been consistent participants in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages in recent seasons. However, as they face each other in the first leg of their quarterfinal match in Spain, both teams are aiming to reach the semifinals after a few years.
Atlético reached the semifinals three times between 2013/14 and 2016/17 but has not advanced that far since. On the other hand, Dortmund, who were European champions in 1996/97, last reached the semifinals in 2012/13, where they finished as runners-up to Bayern München in an all-German final.