Champions League
Too much criticism – Füllkrug “displeases” BVB’s perception
BVB striker Niclas Füllkrug stands in front of the team. photo
© Bernd Thissen/dpa
BVB fought its way into the season in the Bundesliga. If Dortmund want to continue to have a realistic chance of reaching the round of 16, they must now also succeed in the premier class.
Edin Terzic didn’t even try to downplay the importance of the Champions League duel with AC Milan.
“As a rule, you need ten points in a group stage to move into the next round,” said the Borussia Dortmund coach. “If you calculate that down, you know how important the home games are.”
After the 2-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain on matchday 1, BVB is already under a lot of pressure. A win against Milan is almost mandatory for the Bundesliga club in awesome group F, which also includes the English side Newcastle United, who are supported by Saudi Arabia.
Füllkrug believes in his own strengths
“We know that with the guys we have here and the support in the stadium we will have a lot of opportunities to win this game tomorrow,” said Terzic. “But for that we need a really good performance.”
The self-confidence of his players, which was still shattered at the beginning of the season after the championship was given away in May, has increased thanks to three recent victories in the Bundesliga. Newcomer Niclas Füllkrug clearly showed how much faith he has in his own abilities.
The national player is increasingly developing into a leading figure at BVB and, before his home debut in the premier class, demonstratively emphasized the strengths of his team, which has already been heavily criticized this season. “At the moment we have a mental strength and a will to win that is visible, that is extreme,” said the striker.
After a disappointing start in the Bundesliga with a lucky 1-0 win against 1. FC Köln and two draws in Bochum and against newly promoted Heidenheim, BVB has fought its way into the season. The fact that Dortmund is now tied with FC Bayern in the league’s top group was not necessarily expected a month ago.
“In terms of play, it can’t be that bad.”
The results are correct. However, there is not much enthusiasm in the people around Dortmund. Borussia has room for improvement in terms of play, they are not yet consistently using their offensive power – these are the critical voices.
Füllkrug has a clear opinion on this. “In terms of play, it can’t be that bad,” said the 30-year-old. “We’ve collected a lot of points. We’re unbeaten this season. We had a really strong second half of the season last season. I don’t like the way the whole thing is perceived.”
According to Füllkrug, the Revierclub “developed in a direction that was often criticized, where BVB was often not strong enough: to be mentally strong, to finish the games, to decide the games even in moments where it might be necessary “It’s sometimes difficult.” As an example, he cited the 3-1 win at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, in which Dortmund played outnumbered at times.
Terzic is also optimistic about the trend. “We are sure that we have initiated a lot of good things, especially in the last few games, which will also be important for tomorrow,” he said.
Change in the center
The fact that BVB has reliably won in recent weeks is also due to professionals who were not necessarily considered key players at the start of the season. Terzic has shown that if things don’t work, he won’t stick to a predetermined axis forever. He reacts to training performance and fluctuations in form.
Compared to the initial phase, the 40-year-old has rebuilt his center. New captain Emre Can has lost his regular place to Salih Özcan. Özcan, Felix Nmecha and Marco Reus recently formed the midfield. Özcan clearly gives the team stability. Reus shone with three goals in the last three league games. In the storm, Füllkrug successfully replaced the out-of-form Sébastien Haller. He now wants to celebrate his goal debut in the Champions League against Milan. It wouldn’t be the worst time.