Emre Can mentioned that Borussia Dortmund will use their Champions League play-off first leg in opposition to Sporting CP on Tuesday to try to kickstart their underwhelming season.
Dortmund, who reached final 12 months’s Champions League remaining, slipped to eleventh within the Bundesliga on Saturday after a defeat to Stuttgart in Nico Kovac’s first sport in cost.
They’ve received simply one in every of their final six league matches however have fared higher in Europe, ending simply outdoors the highest eight by a degree on the ultimate day of the league part.
And Dortmund will probably be assured of taking an early benefit of their conflict with Sporting given their latest file in opposition to sides from Portugal within the Champions League.
Certainly, they’ve a greater win price in opposition to groups from Portugal (P14 W9 L5 – 64%) than in opposition to sides from every other nation they’ve confronted greater than 10 occasions in European competitors.
“It isn’t straightforward (to show issues round),” Can informed a press convention. “Not every little thing prior to now weeks has been detrimental.
“We all know it’s about successful, however it’s a must to attempt to keep optimistic. The detrimental is not going to take you additional.
“The Champions League can be totally different to the Bundesliga. We had a superb run final 12 months. It’s someplace the place we may be profitable once more.”
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— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) February 10, 2025
Dortmund’s league struggles have put their participation in Europe’s elite competitors in danger, however Can is assured his workforce can flip their fortunes round.
“Nobody believed it final season, and we reached the ultimate,” Can mentioned. “I don’t need to discuss concerning the remaining, however we will attempt to achieve success.”
Kovac can even take cost of his first Champions League conflict since taking up at Dortmund.
He’s unbeaten in every of his six Champions League away video games (W4 D2 with Bayern Munich), probably the most matches a supervisor has taken cost of on the highway within the competitors with out struggling defeat.
But when he’s to proceed his spectacular type within the competitors away from residence, he could have to take action with out Ramy Bensebaini, who picked up a muscle damage in opposition to Stuttgart.
“We face a tricky workforce,” Kovac mentioned. “To be first in Portugal may be very troublesome. Which means the standard may be very excessive.
“It is a soccer taking part in workforce. From the again to the entrance. This implies for us we should pay attention to the technical expertise and centered over 90 minutes.
“That is the primary a part of two video games. We need to get a superb consequence to have a superb alternative to succeed in the following spherical.”
