by Oliver Trust

BERLIN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Having survived a so-called 'death group' in the UEFA Champions League is a source of confidence for Borussia Dortmund.

Ahead of the quarterfinal against Spanish giant Atletico Madrid, the Black and Yellows might be burdened with an unsteady Bundesliga season, while talking about their convincing performance on the international stage before traveling to Madrid.

While their qualification for next season's Champions League is at stake and the generation change in their leaderboard is triggering tensions, optimism accompanies the side.

To reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2013 is within sight when it comes to Karim Adeyemi.

"We don't have to hide there, we can face the game with confidence after we ran that well in the group stage," said the 22-year-old winger.

The recent 1-0 league defeat against Stuttgart following four straight victories is seen as an accident for Dortmund.

A solid defense is said to secure success in Madrid after veteran Mats Hummels is enjoying a performance upswing.

Fast counterattacks carried out by Adeyemi and Jadon Sancho are expected to deliver relief against the robust Spanish side.

Coach Edin Terzic is expecting a tight game as he called Atletico "a knockout monster" due to their fighting spirit and physical game approach.

Sporting director Sebastian Kehl called on the team to invest a 100 percent performance.

The German side's challenge might be to forget about the setback in the national league and turn the Madrid games into a motivation booster for the season finish.

Despite having dropped out of the Champions League qualification spots, six rounds of matches provide the chance for Dortmund to strike back.

To qualify for next season's campaign is a must due to the club's demands to compete with a high-quality squad.

Meanwhile, the future of Terzic, CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, and Kehl is uncertain after rumors speak of possible changes ahead.

Terzic spoke about his unwavering confidence after "we performed well over the past weeks and after all, a positive outcome remains in our hands."

The coach claims his side has gained the needed stability to finish the season with positive results. "We see it in every training session, the squad is on track, and we are a hard nut to crack," Terzic said.

"We travel to Madrid to harvest a promising result and see our chance to proceed to the next round," he added. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)