DORTMUND (dpa-AFX) - With the power of the Südtribüne and their recently displayed fighting spirit, Borussia Dortmund is determined to secure a place in the knockout stage of the Champions League on this XXL matchday. "Inter is a top team, but we're playing at home," said BVB coach Niko Kovac ahead of the decisive group stage clash against Inter Milan. "And when we play at home with our fans behind us, we can beat any team in the Champions League."
For that to hold true this Wednesday (9:00 p.m./DAZN) against the commanding Serie A leaders, Dortmund will need an exceptional performance. There is also a strong incentive to secure a good position for the playoffs.
Inter: Italy's Goal Machine
In the Champions League, Dortmund recently disappointed with a 0-2 loss at Tottenham Hotspur and a 2-2 home draw against Norway's Bodø/Glimt. However, in Saturday's convincing 3-0 win at 1. FC Union Berlin, the BVB pros showed how it can be done—with commitment and resolute challenges as the foundation.
Captain Emre Can called it "men's football." "We stood our ground. That really has to be our standard every time." The 32-year-old knows, of course, that he and his defensive colleagues are facing a much tougher task against the exceptional talents from northern Italy. Inter is set to pose the biggest challenge yet for Dortmund's new defensive stronghold.
With 50 goals in 22 matches, the Milan side is the goal machine of their domestic league. World champion Lautaro Martínez leads the scoring charts. BVB will also need to keep an eye on former Mönchengladbach player Marcus Thuram.
Home Playoff Second Leg as the Goal
In Serie A, coach Cristian Chivu's team has been unbeaten since November. In the Champions League, however, Atlético Madrid, Liverpool, and Arsenal have recently shown that Inter can be beaten. Unlike BVB, Inter—with former Dortmund players Manuel Akanji and Henrich Mchitarjan—have already mathematically secured at least a playoff spot for the round of 16.
While it is extremely unlikely that Dortmund, currently on eleven points, could drop from 16th to 25th place on this decisive matchday with 18 simultaneous games, the Kovac team still needs a point to guarantee the minimum goal of reaching the playoffs on their own. The team should also aim not to slip below 16th place. Teams ranked 9th to 16th have home advantage in the playoff second legs and, in theory, a better chance of drawing weaker opponents.
A leap into the top eight—and thus a direct ticket to the round of 16—is still possible. However, this would require a lot of rivals to stumble and Dortmund to win.
Judging by their previous Champions League performances, fans can expect a spectacle. In the seven Champions League matches involving BVB so far, there have been 34 goals (19 for Dortmund, 15 conceded). With an average of nearly five goals per game, BVB matches are the highest scoring of the tournament./the/DP/jha
