(Champions League) Dortmund take compliments in stride
(03-06 09:21)
Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp tried to play down expectations, but admitted it was “extremely cool’’ to be in the Champions League quarter-finals after their 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in Dortmund yesterday in their Last 16 second leg clash.
Having drawn 2-2 in Ukraine three weeks ago in the first leg, Borussia went through 5-2 on aggregate as goals by Felipe Santana, Mario Goetze and Jakub 'Kuba' Blaszczykowski capped the German champions' dominant display, AFP reports.
After the defeat, Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu repeated his bold prediction that the winner of this tie will reach the final at Wembley on May 25 and said he hopes Dortmund prove him right.
Lucescu is not alone in backing Borussia.
Before his side crashed out at the hands of Real Madrid at home, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson tipped Dortmund to win the title, but Klopp played down rising expectations.
“We have received many compliments on the way we have played in Europe and it feels good to win, but we can't look further than April 2 when the quarter-finals start,'' said the 45-year-old. “There are still lots of strong teams in the competition.
We are just delighted with the result and I am proud of the team.''
Dortmund are in the quarter-finals for the first time in 15 years and can be joined in the last eight by Bundesliga rivals Schalke 04, who host Galatasaray, and Bayern Munich, who are home to Arsenal, next week.
Klopp said he had no preferred opponent in the last eight.
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