Only a few people could have thought that Borussia Dortmund would qualify for the round of 16 from the first position in the “group of death” which also included Paris Saint-Germain, Milan and Newcastle. After initial difficulties, the Millionaires surprised the competition, but will face PSV Eindhoven, who are still undefeated in the Eredivisie in the Round of 16. Edin Terzic’s team has so far shown a completely different face in Europe’s elite compared to the national level, but the Dutch are eager for their first knockout game in the Champions League since 2016. The signs for an intense and, above all, exciting encounter could hardly be better.Jude Bellingham’s career stats at Borussia Dortmund 🟡⚫️ pic.twitter.com/hFW1wouKUq— LiveScore (@livescore) May 7, 2023 While Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso threatens to make a coup on the throne of the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund has long been out of the race. BVB are 17 points behind leaders, facing a battle for a top-four finish in Germany and a place in the Champions League. It is a far cry from last season’s performance, when the Millionaires were on the verge of breaking Bayern’s dominance in Germany, which has lasted for more than a decade. Dortmund were two points up in the last round of the season, but a 2-2 draw at home to Mainz saw the Bavarians, who beat Cologne 2-1, claim their 11th straight Bundesliga crown on goal difference.Heartwarming welcome for AFCON hero Haller from his BVB teammatesThe hangover from losing the title was not that serious, as the Millionaires were unbeaten in the league in the opening three months of this campaign. However, as it often happens in Dortmund in the modern era, everything crumbled against Bayern. A 4-0 home defeat on November 4 – in which Harry Kane scored a hat-trick – sparked a crisis in the form of just one win in seven league matches. A 1-1 draw with Mainz left Dortmund 15 points off the pace of Bayer Leverkusen over Christmas, and although the yellow and black have found form – they are unbeaten in eight league games – the gap is too great. Although this string of positive results has somewhat eased the pressure on coach Edin Terzic, questions remain for Dortmund – especially regarding reinforcements. It’s impossible to ignore how much Borussia missed Jude Bellingham after he left for Real Madrid, and how – perhaps predictably – they struggled to replace him. Part of the 103 million euros that the Madrid giants set aside for Bellingham was reinvested in newcomers. Wolfsburg got 30 million euros for Felix Nmecha, an attacking midfielder, and the Manchester City kid scored one goal in 15 games in all competitions.End of an era – Watzke announces leaving DortmundPart of Bellingham’s fund was also invested in central midfielder Marcel Zabitcer. The former Bayern player has been more successful than Nmecha with three goals and five assists in 24 games, but that is far less than Bellingham’s 14 goals and seven assists in 42 games last season. January re-signing Jadon Sancho on loan from Manchester United has so far failed to reproduce the good old days of his first spell at Dortmund. Sancho is yet to play the full 90 minutes for the German side and missed the recent goalless draw with Heidenheim with a muscle problem. Bellingham’s quality and intensity were such that last season he was two players in one for Dortmund – a creative force in the center and a goal threat for rivals. Terzic tried to replace him with two players, with half the efficiency, while trying to find a system that works without the Englishman.Ghosts of Bosz’s past – BVB in the path of soaring PSVIn the first half of the season, Dortmund mostly played in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but Terzic also lined up the team in 4-3-3 and 4-1-4-1 formations, occasionally switching to 3-4-3. or 5-3-2. That experimentation continued in the more successful post-Christmas period – against Bochum and Heidenheim in recent Bundesliga matches. Due to such an upheaval, Dortmund did not manage to reach the peak of last season. BVB’s statistics are good, but not for the championship race – third in the Bundesliga in possession, fifth in pass success. If it wasn’t for the phenomenal form of goalkeeper Gregor Kobel this season, Borussia would have been significantly worse. The Swiss has made 74 saves this season – more than any other goalkeeper in the Bundesliga. While the Bundesliga was a disappointment for Dortmund, the Champions League proved to be a saving grace for Edin Terzic and his players – finishing in a tough Group F ahead of PSG, AC Milan and Newcastle. This included wins in Italy and England, before Dortmund drew with the Parisians to secure top spot. It gives the Millionaires hope that, amid a difficult campaign, the Champions League could still be a saving grace.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE1/8 finalsTuesdayCopenhagen – Man.City 1-3 (1-2)/Mattsson 34 – De Bruyne 10, Silva 45+1, Foden 90+3/RB Leipzig – Real Madrid 0-1 (0-0)/Diaz 49/WednesdayPSG – Sociedad 2-0 (0-0)/Mbappe 58, Barcola 71/Lazio – Bayern 1-0 (0-0)/Immobile 69 pen/Tuesday the 20th23:00: (2.00) Inter (3.40) Atl.Madrid (3.90)23:00: (2.15) PSV (3.45) Dortmund (3.35)Wednesday the 21st23:00: (4.10) Porto (3.50) Arsenal (1.90)23:00: (2.70) Napoli (3.35) Barcelona (2.60)***odds are subject to change***
