He may be one of the less glittering encounters of the quarter-finals, but equally – one of the most interesting of which: tomorrow (Wednesday, 22:00), Sevilla and Dortmund will meet for the first of two games in a knockout of the Champions League. It has been 11 years since the last meeting between the teams, in the Europa League, when they parted ways in a 2: 2 draw in the home leg.
The Andalusian team has made a name for itself in the second most important factory in Europe, having won the trophy no less than four times in the last seven seasons, and six in total in the last 15 years – the record for factory wins. In the Champions League, however, the story is completely different for the team from fourth place in Spain. And as the number of times she has won the Europa League, the number of times she has qualified for the Champions League – six. And out of the six times she reached the most prestigious factory on the continent, she managed to qualify only once for the quarter-finals, where she was eliminated by Bayern Munich.
Julen Lofti has a particularly significant task ahead of the meeting with Dortmund – to put Sevilla in the front row of European football. After winning with the Andalusians in the Europa League last season, the Spanish coach will try to make the leap together with his team towards the later stages of the Champions League.
“If we compare the fitness of both teams, Sevilla are clearly in the lead. But these are the crucial stages, the risk in these games is high. We will have to keep a lot of us in these two games, and I think we will have the chance to win, and that’s our goal – we do not hide it.” , Said Dortmund coach Edin Terezic.
And despite the wonderful fitness in which the team is with one loss in the last 19 games in all competitions, it is not going to be easy. Beyond the “champions complex” he has experienced throughout history, Marcus Acuna, Lucas Ocampus and Oscar Rodriguez are currently in doubt against Dortmund. Luftaghi will have to find the formula to make up for his team’s professional / mental lack, and cross the German hurdle.
But the difficulties do not only affect the Spanish side. Dortmund, who like Sevilla are struggling to make the leap to the continental level, are experiencing a particularly difficult season, and some would say catastrophic. The yellow-blacks are currently in sixth place in the Bundesliga with 33 points, 16 less than the leading Bayern and six less than a place in the Champions League next season.
Beyond the collapse at the local level, the instability on the lines also impairs the group’s ability. Lucian Fabre, who started the season as the club’s coach, was fired last December and replaced by his former assistant, Edin Terezic. But this week the club’s management announced another change on the lines, with Terzic taking his place starting this summer is Marco Rosa, coach of Borussia Mönchengladbach. “When things are not going well, we have to stay close to each other – like a family. We are a team that is going in the same direction,” the coach said.
And if that is not enough, then Dortmund are also expected to have shortcomings ahead of the fascinating meeting. Thurgan Hazar, Roman Burki and Dan Axel Zagdo will not be on Terzic’s squad in Sevilla. In general, it seems that the only player to hit the Yellows this season is Arling Holland. The huge Norwegian has scored six goals in four appearances in the Champions League this year, to which he adds 15 goals in 15 appearances in the Bundesliga. If there’s one thing stable in Dortmund’s season – it’s its mighty striker.
So who is the favorite for the upcoming meeting? Hard to say. But one thing is for sure – both teams have a lot to prove on Wednesday, especially for themselves.
