Newcastle head to Dortmund with courage - Terzic: "Great team"
Despite Newcastle United's 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg, soccer coach Eddie Howe is confident going into the second Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund.
"We have improved more and more, are in good shape and feel very good with the last two results," said the 45-year-old, referring to the two wins against Manchester United (3-0) and FC Arsenal (1-0) in the space of a few days.
Looking forward to the game
Despite the many absences of regular players such as former Dortmund player Alexander Isak, Howe is hoping for a successful revenge: "But we have to play better than we did two weeks ago." Howe did not see Borussia's clear 4-0 defeat three days earlier in the Bundesliga summit against FC Bayern as an advantage: "Things like that can happen. Bayern scored the goals at the right time. They were two very good teams."
Similar to the coach, the Swiss Fabian Schär is also looking forward to the game, despite all the respect for the passionate atmosphere in Dortmund's stadium. The team spirit should help to master the task: "We've been on an incredible journey in the last two years. I have never experienced such cohesion in any other team."
Edin Terzic is not surprised by the continuing upward trend of his opponents. "This is a great team that has been playing at a top level for almost a year and a half," said the Dortmund coach, praising the sixth-placed team in the Premier League ahead of the clash at the sold-out Signal Iduna Park. "We don't need a warning. We know their quality."
Connoisseur of English soccer
Since his time as assistant coach at West Ham United (2015 to 2017), Terzic is considered an expert on English soccer. In his opinion, the first leg defeat should provide additional motivation for the opponents: "We know that they weren't happy about the 1-0 defeat and are now under a bit of pressure. The game in Newcastle was already very open. We're ready for a similarly open game on Tuesday."
In third place in the table, BVB are level on points (4 each) with second-placed Newcastle. A defeat could significantly worsen their reasonable starting position in the difficult Group F with the other opponents AC Milan (2 points) and Paris Saint-Germain (6). "We have a great opportunity to win the direct comparison against Newcastle. We have to make the most of our home games in particular. That's why it's a very important game for us," said Terzic.
Borussia Dortmund's strong performance against FC Bayern earlier in the Bundesliga might not give them an advantage in the Champions League against Newcastle United, as Terzic acknowledges their quality. Despite the defeat in the first leg, Newcastle United's soccer coach Eddie Howe is optimistic, mentioning their recent wins against Manchester United and FC Arsenal.
Source: www.dpa.com
