Dortmund needs to manage emotions

BERLIN — Enduring another disappointing domestic season, Borussia Dortmund will take inspiration from last year's incredible European run ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal first leg at Barcelona.

Last season, Dortmund stumbled to fifth in the Bundesliga, its lowest placing in a decade, while, conversely, enjoying a shock run to the Champions League final at Wembley, where it put up a strong showing in a 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid.

Its European campaign included wins over Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Newcastle United and PSV Eindhoven.

This year, Dortmund sits eighth in the league, and is in danger of missing Champions League qualification for just the second time since the 2010-11 season.

Dortmund has, however, once again saved its best performances for the European stage, including a 7-1 demolition of Celtic at home and a 3-0 triumph over Sporting Lisbon away.

Dortmund is through to the final eight, where it again faces Hansi Flick's Barcelona.

Dortmund pushed Barcelona in their group stage match in December, going down 3-2 to an 86th-minute goal from Ferran Torres.

'A very emotional place'

World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsmann said Dortmund's problem, both in the league recently and in last season's Wembley showpiece versus Real, had nothing to do with the quality on the pitch.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Klinsmann, who played for and coached Dortmund's rival Bayern Munich, said the key for Dortmund was getting — and keeping — its emotions in check.

"Dortmund has all the potential in the world to go and challenge for the title; in last year's final against Real Madrid, you know, they were among the top teams in Europe.

"Then you see they are so inconsistent and not getting things done, especially in the league, and you start to wonder."

Calling the club "a very emotional place", Klinsmann said: "When things don't work out, like they haven't this season, they cannot get things emotionally under control.

"I was at Wembley, and I thought they should have won that game. Actually, in the first half, they were a better team than Real Madrid.

"And then they gave the game away. And they gave the game away because they became emotional. They got nervous, they thought 'actually we can win this thing against big, big Real Madrid'.

"And this is something that Dortmund always fights with, you know, because it is just so important to the people there."

Kovac making his mark?

Before falling to a late goal against Barcelona in December, Dortmund drew level twice. Former manager Nuri Sahin said the team's frustrating performances had left him "boiling inside".

Sahin was sacked in January, replaced by experienced mentor Niko Kovac, a no-frills coach known for a focus on discipline, rather than some of his more emotional Dortmund predecessors.

Dortmund has won three of its past four under Kovac, and looks to be benefiting from the former Bayern and Monaco manager's simplified approach.

Dortmund will need to keep track of Barcelona's incredible attack, which has scored 83 goals — more than anyone else in Europe's top five leagues this season.

Front and center is former Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski, who loves scoring against his former club. He has 27 goals in 27 games against Dortmund — more than against any other team.

Dortmund's job will be made harder by the absence of Nico Schlotterbeck, perhaps their best player this season alongside prolific striker Serhou Guirassy.

Schlotterbeck was ruled out for the remainder of the season on Monday with a torn meniscus, while fellow centerback Niklas Sule is also in doubt, having missed two games with a hematoma.

AFP