Dortmund await ‘Real’ offer
24 April 2013 1:09 AM GMT
Coach Jurgen Klopp has said Borussia Dortmund are ready to face Real Madrid in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final after their Bundesliga win over Mainz.
‘We’re playing against the biggest club in the world, we will be ready for Real and give it everything we have,’ said Dortmund boss Klopp with the return leg in Madrid on April 30. ‘When you’re already in the semi-finals, of course you just want to get to the final.’
Dortmund have already enjoyed a 2-1 win over Real at home this season after beating them at Borussia’s Signal Iduna Park stadium in the Champions League’s group stages before drawing 2-2 in Madrid.
Despite needing just 32 seconds to take the lead against minnows Mainz after Germany midfielder Marco Reus slotted an early goal, Dortmund will need to improve to beat Real after dropping the game’s tempo.
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski doubled Dortmund’s lead with three minutes left to score his 23rd league goal this season and his 12th in consecutive matches, to extend his own club record.
The 24-year-old is now just four matches short of Gerd Mueller’s record of 22 goals in 16 consecutive games for Bayern Munich in the 1970s. The victory means Dortmund are guaranteed a Champions League place for next season and set for second place in the Bundesliga behind champions Bayern Munich, but Klopp is more concerned with Wednesday.
‘The fact that we’re come through without any injuries makes it the perfect day,’ said the 45-year-old, who will have the bulk of his squad fit for Wednesday. ‘61 points, Champions League qualification secured: that is what we wanted.
‘If we didn’t have an important game on Wednesday, we would really celebrate.’
‘We’re playing against the biggest club in the world, we will be ready for Real and give it everything we have,’ said Dortmund boss Klopp with the return leg in Madrid on April 30. ‘When you’re already in the semi-finals, of course you just want to get to the final.’
Dortmund have already enjoyed a 2-1 win over Real at home this season after beating them at Borussia’s Signal Iduna Park stadium in the Champions League’s group stages before drawing 2-2 in Madrid.
Despite needing just 32 seconds to take the lead against minnows Mainz after Germany midfielder Marco Reus slotted an early goal, Dortmund will need to improve to beat Real after dropping the game’s tempo.
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski doubled Dortmund’s lead with three minutes left to score his 23rd league goal this season and his 12th in consecutive matches, to extend his own club record.
The 24-year-old is now just four matches short of Gerd Mueller’s record of 22 goals in 16 consecutive games for Bayern Munich in the 1970s. The victory means Dortmund are guaranteed a Champions League place for next season and set for second place in the Bundesliga behind champions Bayern Munich, but Klopp is more concerned with Wednesday.
‘The fact that we’re come through without any injuries makes it the perfect day,’ said the 45-year-old, who will have the bulk of his squad fit for Wednesday. ‘61 points, Champions League qualification secured: that is what we wanted.
‘If we didn’t have an important game on Wednesday, we would really celebrate.’
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