Erling Haaland is not a Borussia Dortmund player anymore. Nor is Jude Bellingham. Thus, BVB doesn’t have a recognized ‘team star’ to look up to today, when they face Atletico Madrid with a goal deficit. Edin Terzić is not the coach who can motivate his players with the experience he has. Heck, he even made a mistake of fielding Felix Nmecha in the first game instead of his most consistent midfielder Julian Brandt and conceded two goals in the space of 30 minutes. Luckily for the fans, he introduced him immediately in the second half and prevented a disaster. Sebastian Haller, who gave them a goal of hope in Madrid got injured meanwhile and is out for the rest of the season. Niklas Fullkrug is in goalscoring crisis since February. Karim Adeyemi is too inconsistent, Donyell Malen has just came back from injury. Who then? The Yellow Wall.For the first time, Borussia Dortmund will be able to host a European game with the Südtribüne’s full capacity of 25,000.Europe, the Yellow Wall is coming.#BVBFCK #UCL pic.twitter.com/SfGwx0rBf5— DW Sports (@dw_sports) September 6, 2022 The 81,365 capacity Signal Iduna Park stadium (more famous as Westfalenstadion) has been among the places with a best atmosphere in Europe for years. When we talk only about the Champions League, there is hardly a better place. And the most faithful BVB fans occupy the 25.000 seated Yellow Wall, who produces wonderful choreographies, who is packed at least one hour before every match and who gives the rhythm to the rest of the stadium with chants and songs. And they will have the task to be that crucial factor or nobody else will, and everybody else knows it. One of the first tweets on the official BVB page after the 2-1 defeat was ‘The Yellow Wall waits’. And the Atletico Madrid fans know that too. That is why there is currently 4000 fans in Dortmund, ready to support their club and to lower down the noise. This is the biggest away following Atletico ever had, apart from the various Cup or Champions League finals.Jingle Bells, by the Gelbe Wand (Yellow Wall) from Borussia Dortmund! 🎅🏻🎶 pic.twitter.com/QBqok6hzB4— 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 (@thecasualultra) December 25, 2020 Coach Edin Terzić also knows that.“It is one of the great places in football due to its staging and the encouragement of the fans throughout the game. Last week we played at the Metropolitano and their fans were there, they created a great atmosphere for them and now we want to give it back. Not only us, before making an eleven of players, we try to demonstrate what it means to play in this stadium. We talk about it frequently. This stadium is incredible from the warm-up. The atmosphere is something unique here, a full stadium that always gives us a lot of strength and energy. He has been a great help against us against PSG, Milan or Newcastle” said the young coach.”Dortmund title loss was harder to accept than my illness”Julian Brand is all but certain in the starting line up (this time) and he also relishes the atmosphere.“I would always like the atmosphere here in Dortmund, it is something unique, beautiful. You don’t need to think if the fans support you, they never fail. It’s very important. A few years ago against Inter Milan we were 0-2 and in the stadium there was energy thanks to the fans and we managed to come back. I will never forget. All the fans know that they are an opportunity for us to improve our performance” said the midfielder.Haller ready to take his place in Borussia’s attackDortmund have lost just one of their previous 17 Champions League matches at Signal Iduna Park. Pretty strong, but Atletico doesn’t need to win, they are OK with a draw too. Antoine Greizmann will lead the line, but Memphis Depay remains a doubt and the pair of Thomas Lemar and Vitolo are sidelined. Brazilian winger Samuel Lino, who scored in the first leg, is also absent through suspension. On the Borussia’s side, Jadon Sancho, who missed the win over Gladbach due to illness, could well return. Karim Adeyemi is available but so is Donyell Malen. Will they both play?UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUEQuarterfinals – second legTuesday22:00: (2.30) Dortmund (3.50) Atl.Madrid (3.25) /first leg 1-2/22:00: (2.30) Barcelona (3.70) PSG (3.15) /first leg 3-2/Wednesday22:00: (2.45) Bayern (3.60) Arsenal (2.95) /first leg 2-2/22:00: (1.67) Man.City (3.80) Real Madrid (5.30) /first leg 3-3/***odds are subject to change***
