Borussia Dortmund kick off their 20th UEFA Champions League campaign on Tuesday night with a tough away trip to Juventus. Softfootball understands that the game is a return to the very ground where BVB once celebrated their first-ever away victory in the competition, and head coach Niko Kovac believes his side can once again rise to the occasion.
He granted a post-match interview alongside midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, which was reported on the team’s official website. The coach admitted Juve’s home advantage will be significant, but stressed his side’s balance and depth. Softfootball is also in agreement with the fact that the game will be very tight and feisty; in fact, a 2-2 scoreline was predicted in the game’s preview.
He said:
We want to show that we have the quality to compete here. When everyone is fit, we’re very balanced. There needs to be competition for places. We’ve got players with different profiles – physicality, creativity, work rate – and if we mix that well, we’re in a good position. We’ll need to stretch ourselves, we’ll need to give 100 percent.
Preparing for his third Champions League season in black and yellow, Marcel Sabitzer also echoed that confidence, underlining the mindset needed in Europe’s top competition, despite the strong warning by Juventus Captain Locatelli that the team is highly pumped for the clash.
Sabitzer said:
Basically, you always go into a tournament to win it, otherwise there’s no point in even showing up, It’s something special, the biggest stage possible for a player at club level. We’re well equipped and very flexible. Opponents don’t know in advance who they’ll face.
Dortmund made a post via the team’s official X account announcing that the team has touched down at the opposition Camp.
They posted:
Kovac confirmed Julian Brandt has returned to the squad, while Aaron Anselmino will be given more recovery time before the weekend. Pascal Groß could be available after a stomach bug, though Salih Özcan is ineligible due to UEFA registration rules.
Dortmund arrives in Turin knowing the size of the challenge. Juventus, guided by Igor Tudor, are no pushover and are very capable of hurting Dortmund in different tactical ways. For Dortmund, the journey begins with belief, balance, and the hunger to prove they belong among Europe’s elite.
