Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund brace for a decisive conflict in opposition to PSV Eindhoven on the electrical Westfalenstadion, with a spot within the Champions League quarter-finals hanging within the steadiness.
The stress mounts following a tightly contested 1-1 draw within the first leg on Dutch soil, the place Luuk de Jong’s second-half penalty leveled the rating after an early strike from former PSV star Donyell Malen.
Dortmund’s rollercoaster trip continued as they succumbed to a 3-2 defeat at dwelling in opposition to Hoffenheim within the Bundesliga simply 5 days after their European conflict.
However, they swiftly regained momentum with back-to-back away victories in opposition to Union Berlin and Werder Bremen.
Their triumphs in Berlin and Bremen showcased resilience, significantly within the latter fixture, the place they clinched a hard-fought 2-1 win regardless of taking part in with 10 males after Marcel Sabitzer’s dismissal.
Goals from Malen and Jadon Sancho, the latter marking his return to Dortmund on mortgage from Manchester United with a vital strike, secured the important three factors.
As Edin Terzic’s squad gears up for his or her sixth Champions League knockout marketing campaign in eight seasons, they draw energy from their spectacular report of progressing from 5 out of their final 5 knockout ties when avoiding defeat within the away first leg.
However, Dortmund’s kind on the Westfalenstadion has been inconsistent of late, with simply 4 wins of their final 9 dwelling matches throughout all competitions.
Nonetheless, their unbeaten streak of eight Champions League dwelling video games instills confidence as they put together to host PSV.
In distinction, PSV arrive in Dortmund using excessive on an unbeaten streak within the Eredivisie, accumulating seven factors from their final three league fixtures.
Their latest 1-0 victory in opposition to Go Ahead Eagles maintained their ten-point lead on the Eredivisie summit over second-placed Feyenoord.
Despite struggling a heavy 4-0 defeat at Arsenal within the Champions League group stage, Peter Bosz’s aspect boasts a formidable report of simply two defeats in 39 matches throughout all competitions this season.
However, their historic struggles in Germany, with no wins of their earlier 16 visits and 5 losses of their final six Champions League matches, pose a formidable problem.
Nevertheless, PSV attracts optimism from their previous efficiency at Dortmund’s fortress, having secured a 1-1 draw of their sole earlier go to in October 2002.
Bolstered by a robust away report in home fixtures and the attacking prowess of high scorer Luuk de Jong, who has been instrumental with seven targets and 4 assists in his final eight appearances, PSV goals to safe a quarter-final berth for the primary time since 2006-07.
As each groups finalize their line-ups, Dortmund grapple with accidents to attackers Sebastien Haller and Samuel Bamba, whereas PSV navigate uncertainties surrounding the provision of Joey Veerman and Ismael Saibari.
Source: www.dailysabah.com