Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich: The showdown between ‘Kloppo’ and ‘Osram’

Germany’s top 2 clubs will face off in the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley tomorrow. Guiding them to the finals have been 2 managers who stand at opposite ends of the spectrum. Jupp Heynckes and Jürgen Klopp have masterminded their team’s successful runs to the showpiece final each with his own unique style.

The final is as much about the 2 managers as their teams; Heynckes is 68 and into his 25^th and final managerial season and coming to the end of a highly successful career as coach. Klopp is 45, into his 10^th season in management, is one of the finest young managers around and has a long way to go in his career. Both managers are hard task masters, but while Heynckes represents a more sullen, traditional serious approach, Klopp has a more modernistic, exuberant side to his management. It’s a battle of contrasting styles on the touchline in Wembley tomorrow night.

‘Kloppo’

Jürgen Klopp and his Borussia Dortmund side have become the darlings of the footballing world. Part of it is down to the brand of football that has been on display and part of it due to the charismatic nature of their manager. ‘Kloppo’ as he is affectionately called by his players has become an object of fascination for the media with his open and informal approach, especially at interviews. With his rugged looks, goofy smile & light-hearted humour, Klopp is a manager with something of a ‘rockstar’ image. He even resembles a stand-up comedian at times in his discussions with the press and has received as much attention and coverage as his team, perhaps even more.

Dortmund was Klopp’s first ever club outside of Mainz where he spent 19 years - 12 as a player and after retirement went on to serve as manager of Mainz for another 7 years. From 2005-2008, before he took the Dortmund job, Klopp was in a media role with German television network ZDF as an expert commentator for games involving the German national football team. In his 6 years at Dortmund, he has won 2 Bundesliga titles back to back and 2 German Cups. Wolfgang Frank, Klopp’s coach at Mainz is his role model and inspiration. Frank himself imbibed a lot from the work of Arrigo Sacchi at AC Milan and Klopp holds the Italian in high regard.

The ‘gegenpressing’ style of play, as it has come to be known, is what Klopp brought to the Ruhr valley club after he took over in 2008 and in the 5 years since, it has brought the club up the ladder to reach the very top. With a high work rate Dortmund work tirelessly with and without the ball and rapidly press and close down the opposition to try to regain possession all the way from centre-forward to centre-back. Although their pressing style resembles that of Barcelona, they attack with greater speed and intensity than the Catalan side whose priority is to retain possession of the ball and build up attacks in a more measured way. Klopp believes that open, exciting, attacking football is what Dortmund's loyal fans expect and deserve.

Klopp is never overly concerned about being politically correct. Of late, he has engaged in a bitter battle with Bayern Munich over the Bavarian giants poaching his best players and copying their style. "What can I say?" Klopp said with a shrug when asked about Bayern poaching his best players. “We are not a supermarket but they want our players because they know we cannot pay them the same money. If that's what Bayern wants... It's like James Bond – except they are the villain." He also compared them to China in their quest to be the best saying, “Right now, it’s a bit like what the Chinese do in economics or industry. Watch the others and plagiarize what they do. Take the same path, only with more money and other players. And for the moment, you will be better again.”

Captain Kloppo is on a mission as he looks to inflict a damaging loss on his bitter rivals to leave them with a third final defeat in 4 years as a means of some retribution after being forced to part with not only their Bundesliga and German Cup titles, but also their talismanic playmaker in Mario Götze, whose services he will be without in tomorrow’s final.

‘Osram’

As much coverage that Jürgen Klopp has received from the electronic and print media, Jupp Heynckes has received zilch. It is not exactly Klopp’s fault for he is not an attention seeking man, unlike the ‘Special One’, but it’s just got to do with the media houses who tend to be a little unfair in shutting out the unglamorous characters of the footballing world.

The nickname for Heynckes, borrowed from the German lighting company, came about for the way in which his face tends to redden or bear a reddish glow when he gets agitated on the sidelines. It was first used by Rudi Gores, a former German footballer and coach. That’s about all the emotion the veteran German coach exhibits during a game as opposed to the myriad expressions that one can see from Klopp. A stoic, low profile man, Heynckes is one of the most decorated coaches in German football.

A well-travelled man, the wily German has managed clubs in Germany, Spain and Portugal and is one of the most experienced hands around. He has won 3 Bundesliga titles, 3 German Cups (all with Bayern Munich) and 1 Champions League (with Real Madrid) in his long tenure, this is his 27^th season in management. The silverware maybe less when compared to some others, but that’s not accounting for the work that he has done at some of the smaller teams in Spain and Germany such as Athletic Bilbao and Schalke, where he led them from mid-table obscurity to qualifying for European competition.

He was also a predator of a forward in his playing days and has both a European Championship (1972) and World Cup (1974) winners medal to his name. At club level he won 4 Bundesliga titles, 1 German cup and 1 UEFA Cup with Borussia Monchengladbach, a club where he played 12 of his 15 seasons as a professional footballer. And yet, despite all that he has done, Heynckes has never received the credit due to him.

Heynckes of course has not let any of that affect his performances on the field, be it as player or manager. There has been untoward criticism hurled at him by fans and media in the various countries that he has been, yet the man has managed to keep his head and continue doing what he does best – deliver results.

When he came back to Bayern for a third stint in 2011, the team was in a shambles ridden with internal squabble and indiscipline and also defensive frailties. Heynckes has gone about carefully rebuilding this team since then and after being outgunned to the Bundesliga title the last two years by Borussia Dortmund, Bayern have returned with a bang conquering all in their path as they romped to the title this year.

Bayern too under Heynckes are pressing the ball a lot better allowing teams very little time on the ball. During their 7-0 mauling of Barcelona in the semis, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi constantly found themselves shackled and harassed by a player in a red shirt and the various channels that Barca constantly use were expertly cut out.

“You have got to analyse how an opponent plays, where they run, how they attack. Then find something you can hold against that.” – said Bayern’s coach after the Barca win. That is vintage Heynckes; who is known to be a master tactician and a manager who spends an incredible amount of time in meticulously preparing for a game.

A FINAL TO RELISH

Borussia Dortmund are in uncharted territory, most of this season's Champions League campaign has been. It has been 16 years since they won their only European Cup in 1997 and this run marks a return to prominence for Borussia on the European stage. For Bayern Munich, it is an opportunity to right the wrongs of previous finals. The pain of those 2 finals losses still lingers, especially the one last year in front of their home crowd, and Heynckes will be keen to set that record straight. 

Dortmund have come to dominate this rivalry in the past few years - Bayern have won only 2 of their last 10 meetings, losing 5 and drawing the remainder. This season, Bayern brushed past every other club in the Bundesliga save for Dortmund. The one win they did have was a narrow 1-0 victory in the DFB Pokal Cup. 

If he wins tomorrow night, he will become only the 4^th manager to win the Champions League with different clubs – after Ernst Happel, Ottmar Hitzfeld and Jose Mourinho. And if Bayern follow that up, as they are widely expected to, with winning the German Cup, he will have achieved an unprecedented treble, something never done before by a German club and achieved only thrice previously in history – PSV Eindhoven in 1988, Manchester United in 1999 and Barcelona in 2009.

History beckons for Heynckes as he looks to leave Bayern Munich on the highest pedestal possible. While the man in the opposing dugout, Jürgen Klopp, is looking to challenge the dominance of mighty Bayern on the European stage, Heynckes knows that victory tomorrow could well be the starting point of a new era of dominance for Bayern Munich, not just over Dortmund, but the whole of Europe.

Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich.

Klopp’s ‘Band of Merry Men’ vs Heynckes’ ‘Mean Machine’!

It is truly an occasion to savour!

Has Jose Mourinho's availability brought about Sir Alex's retirement earlier than expected?

26 years. 39 major trophies. A stand to his name.

Sir Alex Ferguson has decided to call time on his career after ushering Manchester United to one final hurrah as they reclaimed the Premier League crown from rivals Manchester City.

Club sources earlier this week revealed that Ferguson has been booked in for a hip operation in the month of June which would force him to miss the early part of next season. However, for most of this year, both Ferguson and club towed a different line altogether with both saying that he intended to continue atleast for another year or two.

So, what changed in between?

I believe that Jose Mourinho's availability and desire to return to England has brought about Sir Alex's retirement a year earlier. Here's previewing Mourinho's likely arrival at Old Trafford along with that of some other potential candidates who have been touted around.

JOSE MOURINHO

Both the United board and Sir Alex probably waited to see the developments at Real Madrid. Their progress in the UEFA Champions League and Mourinho's 'will he won't he?' move has been the centre of all cynosure. Now that Real are out and Jose has indicated his desire to manage in a place where "he is loved" has opened up possibilities.

Jose's desire to take the Old Trafford job has been an open secret. Reports coming out from the club suggest that the successor has been in talks with Sir Alex for quite some time now. We all know that the 'Special One' shares a good friendship with the gaffer and the two managers hold each other in high regard.

Real Madrid played Manchester United in the Round of 16 in this year's Champions League. After United went out of the competition, losing 2-1 to Real Madrid in their home leg, Mourinho's comments had all the bearings of  someone who potentially saw himself managing the club one day.

For long, Mourinho's case for United has been sidetracked by some saying that he is not a long-term option and that he likes to do short spells of not more than 3 years. Well, this could very well be exactly that. Mourinho coming to United is definitely for a short spell, possibly a 3-year contract.

United's robust system put in place by Fergie will ensure that United remain contenders for the Premier League even with change of personnel. But, it is Europe where the bigger prize lies. And if ever there is a more qualified manager to try and deliver on that holy grail, it is the Portuguese.

Another thing that looks like a good match is that the current United squad plays a much more direct and efficient brand of football much like most of Jose's regular teams. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich went in for an overhaul last year with the players that were bought as well as the managerial choices in an attempt to bring about a more flamboyant brand of football. Would Mourinho really be the ideal manager for such a system? Someone like Juergen Klopp is perhaps better attuned to such needs.

In addition, there is a very strong likelihood of this being a double swoop which brings not one, but two Portuguese stars to Old Trafford, both of whom are managed by Jorge Mendes. Cristiano Ronaldo may well accompany his current manager and return to England. Both of them are managed by football 'super agent' Jorge Mendes, who also happens to manage Anderson and Nani among others. Ushering in arguably his 2 biggest clients into the gates of Old Trafford could very well see him take Ando and Nani out of the club.

In the long-term it does appear that a United legend and one of Fergie's favorite sons, either of Bryan Robson, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer or even Ryan Giggs will take over the hot seat on a more lengthy tenure. In the meantime, Mourinho, a manager with the personality and credentials to match Ferguson's could well be endowed with overseeing a short phase of transition at Old Trafford.

JUERGEN KLOPP

Borussia Dortmund have reached the finals of the Champions League knocking out Mourinho's Real Madrid. It marks the culmination of a journey that began about 5 years ago for both the club and their manager Juergen Klopp. We might be seeing the end of a cycle at Westfalenstadion too and 'Kloppo' as he his referred to could be moving on to another assignment.

Klopp would be a strong second favorite after Mourinho. The German coach is very good in nurturing young talent as evidenced not only in his current stint with Dortmund, but also from his time as manager of Mainz earlier. Sir Alex in his time at Old Trafford has overseen the prominent rise of many a talented youngster from David Beckham to Cristiano Ronaldo and now Phil Jones. Klopp would be an ideal choice in further forwarding that ideology.

The Borussia Dortmund manager may also be inclined to leave as there is a very real possibility that Dortmund could fail to hold on to most of their key players. Mario Goetze has already signed for Bayern Munich and Robert Lewandowski's departure is imminent. Ilkay Gundogan, Mats Hummels and Marko Reus have also been linked with moves away from the Black and Yellow.

If it is indeed to be Klopp, it could represent a more long-term option than Mourinho and someone who would be entrusted with building up the next great Manchester United side. And, like with Mourinho, i believe that with Klopp too it could be a double swoop. Shinji Kagawa is already at Manchester United and Polish striking sensation Robert Lewandowski could well accompany Klopp through the hallowed gateways of Old Trafford if the German tactician does come on board.

DAVID MOYES

And what about the other Scotsman whose reported to be a strong favorite to succeed his legendary countryman? Moyes has long been touted as a possible replacement when Fergie did decide to hang up his managerial boots. He has been part of the Everton project for a long time and with minimal resources has ensured that Everton compete for European places every year.

He is also know to be a good man-manager, like the Gaffer, and someone who manages to get the best out of his players. What could go against him is his lack of European experience and his ability to manage the dressing room egos that abound at Old Trafford.

We're set for a very intriguing 48 hours ahead as Manchester United have announced that Ferguson's successor is to be named in that time frame. The footballing fraternity will be waiting with bated breath to see just who is in line to take over from the footballing institution that is Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scot has been known for many a master-stroke, his last one would surely not be any different.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND: From the brink of bankruptcy to Bundesliga Champions and more...

Real Madrid will take the field at the Santiago Bernabeu tonight on the verge of making their third consecutive exit at the semi-final stage of the UEFA Champions League. The reason for their current predicament is a team from North-West Germany adorned in Black and Yellow. They trail 1-4 from the 1^st leg to their semi-final opponents Borussia Dortmund and while it would be foolhardy to discount any hopes of a comeback, the task in front of them is an arduous one.

For Dortmund, this stage represents a culmination of the club’s efforts to get back on track following a tumultuous few years in the past decade. BVB 09 as a club almost ceased to exist, but they have managed to climb out of the depths of battling for relegation into once again pulling their weight at the top of the Bundesliga.

‘Borussia’ for Beer

On 19 December, 1909, a group of 17 young men, mostly steelworkers and miners, founded the club of Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund; the name ‘Borussia’ is Latin for Prussia, but the youth actually went for that name in honour of their favourite beer served in the pub where they used to frequently gather. That’s how one ‘Borussia’ of the alcoholic kind lent its name to another one of the sporting kind.

Dortmund’s financial troubles in the early 2000’s are well documented. However, that wasn’t the first instance of the club being bailed out of trouble. Way back in 1929, the club had its first taste of bankruptcy when an attempt to sign professionally paid footballers fell flat on its face and left the team deep in debt.  A local supporter of the club eventually managed to cover the team’s losses out of his own pocket and that ensured the continued existence of the football club.

Enjoying modest success before the war, Borussia really came into their own during the formative years following the end of World War II. They managed to win 3 National titles before the Bundesliga as a concept came into existence. The inaugural season of the Bundesliga saw them finish fourth. In 1966, the club became the first German team to win European honours (yes, even before Bayern Munich) when they beat Liverpool to lift the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

THE ROLLER-COASTER RIDE

For much of the next 2 decades, Dortmund enjoyed limited to moderate success, encountering a few relegation battles, some failed and some successful, along the way. Their return to prominence began with their 1989 DFB Cup final victory over Werder Bremen, which happened to be their first trophy in 23 long years.

What followed was perhaps one of the most successful periods in the club’s history; in a span of little over 10 years, Dortmund won the Intercontinental Cup (1997), the UEFA Champions League (1997) and 3 Bundesliga titles (1995, 1996 and 2002). This phase in their history has come to be known as the ‘Golden Age’ of Borussia Dortmund.

But, Borussia’s history has often resembled a sine curve, high one moment followed by massive lows. The fall from grace began with Dortmund becoming the first, and so far only, publicly traded club to be listed on the German stock market.  After securing their 3^rd Bundesliga title on the final day of the 2001-02 season things began to go south.

The next few years saw a steady decline in Dortmund’s fortunes plagued by poor financial management that led to the club becoming steeped in debt. It forced the sale of their Westfalenstadion ground to try and pay off some of that debt. €2 million was loaned from Bayern Munich in order to pay off the players’ wages for a couple of months in 2003. Part of the reason for their stadium being called the ‘Signal Iduna Park’ is the sponsorship agreement the signed with a local insurance company in an attempt to arrest rising debt.

2005-2008 caused more angst to Dortmund fans. Top players such as Tomas Rosicky, David Odonkor and Christoph Metzelder all exited and in the 2006-07 season saw them teeter perilously close to relegation.

The current phase that has seen the club claim back-to-back Bundesliga titles and currently challenge for honours in the Champions League is the most positive one after the ‘Golden Age’. Both phases have been overseen by managers whose appointments at the time were viewed as risky, but turned out to be excellent choices going forward.

THE GENERAL

A man who can be credited with overseeing most of the success in the ‘Golden Age’ is legendary German coach Ottmar Hitzfeld. Hitzfeld is one of only 3 managers, Ernst Happel and Jose Mourinho being the other two, to have won the Champions League with 2 different clubs.

In 1991, the Borussia board decided to entrust Hitzfeld, at that time still relatively inexperienced, with the responsibility of bringing Dortmund back into the big league. In his very first year in charge, he took the team to second spot in the league managing to secure a UEFA Cup place in the process. The following season Dortmund reached the finals of that very tournament, but they would finish 2^nd best to Juventus losing both games of a two-legged final. In 1995, Dortmund claimed their first Bundesliga title (4^th national title overall). They went on to do a repeat the next season successfully defending the title. The greatest night though in Borussia Dortmund’s history was to come the following season.

The 1996-97 saw Dortmund finish third in the league, but Hitzfeld’s team managed to reach the Champions League final where an old foe in Juventus lay in wait. This time Borussia prevailed 3–1 in the final at Munich’s Olympic Stadium. This was no ordinary team as it featured the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps, Alessandro Del Piero and Christian Vieri amongst others. That made the victory all the more special and Hitzfeld was rewarded for the first time with the "World Coach of the Year" award.

That would be Hitzfeld’s final contribution as manager of Borussia Dortmund as he would go on to take a job upstairs as Sports Manager with the club.

CAPTAIN ‘KLOPPO’

Jürgen Klopp was summoned at the end of the 2007-08 season to take charge. This was to be Klopp’s first stint outside of Mainz as he spent 19 years at the club – 12 as player and when he retired went on to serve as manager of Mainz for another 7 years. A squad of players costing somewhere in the range of €15-€20 million Euros in its entirety was put together. 

A 6^th place finish in the very first season, followed by 5^th a year later, showed positive signs for the Rhine valley club. But, what caught everybody’s attention is their defeat of Bayern Munich in the DFL Super Cup in his first year. That was an upset and a sign of things to come as Dortmund would go on to win successive league titles in 2010-11 and 2011-12 completing a first double with their cup win to boot last season.

‘Kloppo’ since his arrival has got the team playing with a renewed charisma and passion and he has had young players who have been able to carry off his high work rate, slick passing brand of high octane football. Many of that motley crew assembled for around €20 million are now superstars in their own right.

COPING WITH EXITS

A large part of the current squad has been together since Klopp took over with a few additions to replace outgoing stars along the way. What has been remarkable is the team’s failure to cope with the departure of some of its star names.

Nuri Sahin was lured away by the temptation of Real Madrid; since then he has had 2 ineffectual seasons, one with Real and the second half a season on loan with Liverpool. He is now back at Dortmund having re-joined in January.

Meanwhile, his club did not too fare too badly as they went on win the title yet again. Ilkay Gundogan was brought in from FC Nuremberg to fill the vacancy and the German midfielder’s influence since signing for Dortmund has been spectacular. He was imperious in the first leg against Madrid and along with Sven Bender completely too control of the midfield leaving Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso to feed off scraps.

The next season, Shinji Kagawa left for English shores as Manchester United came calling. Marko Reus, one of the hottest young players around, was signed from Borussia Monchengladbach as a replacement and he has had a stellar season. After a slow start, Dortmund have managed to get back to 2^nd position and stand 1 step away from a possible final appearance in this year’s UEFA Champions League.

A STRONG CORE

Part of the reason why they have managed to cope so well is the retention of a strong core of players. Mario Götze, Robert Lewandowski, Mats Hummels, Neven Subotic, Lukasz Piszczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski have provided a strong base for Klopp to be able to deal with the loss of 1 or 2 players. Dortmund’s ‘Golden Age’ was driven by the trio of Mathias Sammer, Andreas Möller and Lars Ricken.

After almost a decade since that trio last played, another impressive quartet of players has engineered the club’s more recent successes. Lewandowski, Götze, Reus and Blaszczykowski are easily one of the best attacking quartets around capable of punching a hole in any opposition defence.

KLOPP & HIS BAND OF MERRY MEN

Just like Robin Hood and his band, Jürgen Klopp and his band of players have caught the footballing world by storm. Much like the famous brew that the club derives its name from, watching Borussia Dortmund in action guarantees fun and excitement and brings a smile to your lips, just like a good mug of beer.

Reflecting Klopp's strong commitment to playing fast, free-flowing football, Dortmund work hard and press teams high up the pitch. Although their pressing style resembles that of Barcelona, they attack with greater speed and intensity than the Catalan side whose priority is to retain possession of the ball and build up attacks in a more measured way. Klopp believes that open, exciting, attacking football is what Dortmund's loyal fans expect and deserve. How refreshing to hear such a positive attitude towards football and fans.

And the clubs fans have showed their support through thick and thin. Even when in the depths of despair during their financial struggles, Dortmund still managed to rake in average attendances in excess of 70,000. And with the new ‘Yellow Stand’ as it is called, where fans are allowed to stand with a mug of beer in hand and singing and dancing away in their numerous bands, the Signal Iduna Park swells to over 80,000.

ROAD TO WEMBLEY

Borussia Dortmund have relinquished their Bundesliga title to an all-conquering Bayern Munich side. Their late show against Malaga that took them into the semi-finals and the supremely confident performance in last week’s 1^st leg versus Real exemplifies the spirit within this squad and the kind of passion and confidence that Jürgen Klopp has instilled at the club. Though the 2^nd leg remains, the Germans are expected to progress barring a miraculous Real turnaround. 

After that, a potentially lip-smacking clash with rivals Bayern Munich awaits. With Mario Götze already signing for Bayern and Lewandowski set to follow his mate out of the club, it represents a last chance for a final hurrah for this group of players.

2 games away from repeating the heroics of the Class of ’97, Klopp and his players have come a long way in putting Borussia Dortmund back on the European footballing map. Going all the way and winning the final in Wembley will just about be the exclamation mark on their efforts!

Dortmund edge out Malaga in dramatic finish

Two quick goals in the closing seconds of injury time saw Borussia Dortmund emerge 3-2 winners on the night and on aggregate and seal their place in the final four of the UEFA Champions League. With two-and-a-half minutes of stipulated injury time left to go, Dortmund were trailing 1-2 to the Spanish side.

In the 92^nd minute, Marco Reus scored the equalizer to pull it back to 2-2. It looked to have come a little too late for the home side as the draw still meant Malaga would go through on away goals. But, Dortmund threw just about everybody forward in search of the winner. A Robert Lewandowski cross from the left caused panic and defender Felipe Santana managed to bundle the ball home after his initial shot was saved by the keeper and the rebound fell to him. Santana’s goal led to chaotic scenes as the Borussia players celebrated with the fans going wild, while those of Malaga sunk to their feet.

Dortmund made a cautious start to the match, preferring not to go all out in search of goals. Jakub ‘Kuba’ Blaszczykowski was back in the starting line-up for the German side starting out wide on the right. Barring a few forays from Dortmund, it was a comfortable opening 20 minutes for Malaga who continued to be resolute in defence, picking up from where they left off last week. Against the run of play, the visitors then took the lead on 25 minutes when Joaquin scored with a left footed shot from just outside the box after a mazy run exchanging a 1-2 with Isco.

The goal brought Dortmund into action and there was more conviction in their play as the likes of Mario Gotze and Lewandowski became increasingly involved in the game. After a spell of sustained pressure, on 40 minutes Lewandowski brought the game back to parity when he finished a superb team goal. Blaszczykowski picked up the ball on the right and laid it in for Gotze who took 2 touches before releasing to Reus who found Lewandowski with a sublime back heel flick. The Polish striker did the rest as he rounded Willy Caballero in goal to put the ball in the back of the net.

Just on the stroke of half-time, Malaga earned a free-kick 30 yards out and Duda’s in-swinging delivery found a completely unmarked Joaquin who had a free header, but the Spanish winger’s effort lacked power and was directed straight at Weidenfeller. The teams went in at half-time on level pegging, though Malaga were in the driver’s seat having scored the away goal and Juergen Klopp berating his players for the lapse defending.

The second half got off to a racy start with chances for both teams to score. More excellent football from Borussia’s attacking quartet put Lewandowski through on goal, his finish though was a little close to the keeper and Caballero gathered safely. At the other end, Joaquin, who had an outstanding game for the visitors, had another opportunity when he got his head to an Isco cross from close range. A fantastic save from Weidenfeller though, prevented Malaga from restoring their lead. After an open first 15 minutes, the game became a little scrappy as Dortmund’s frustrations came to the surface. Unable to find any rhythm in their passing, they started to give the ball away cheaply and concede unnecessary fouls. Even Klopp was getting ever more chippy as the match wore on as his side were unable to grab a winner. Martin Demichelis and Sergio Sanchez were excellent in central defence for Manuel Pellegrini’s side as they continued to frustrate the boys in yellow.

Nuri Sahin and Julian Scheiber were brought on by Dortmund as they chased the winner. Frustration soon gave way to agony as it was Malaga who scored their second through Eliseu who had come on for the captain Duda; Isco once more featuring in the build-up and his ball to Julio Baptista caught the Dortmund defence out before the Brazilian laid it on for Eliseu who scored with a sliding finish. There was a touch of offside about the goal and Klopp was now rabid on the touchlines as his side were staring at the exit door with 8 minutes plus stoppage time left.

Juergen Klopp through on Mat Hummels in a last ditch effort as Dortmund shipped bodies forward, literally throwing the kitchen sink at Malaga. The Spanish team’s fans were rejoicing when the board to signal 4 minutes of stoppage time came up, confident in the fact that their team were on the brink of progress. But, it was to be heartbreak for them as Dortmund refused to throw in the towel and staged a sensational comeback to steal the game booking themselves a semi-final place in the process.

"I just can't really believe this," said Dortmund defender Never Subotic. "This is the craziest moment in my entire football career. Up until now it has been a Hollywood movie; hopefully it will have a Hollywood ending." Juergen Klopp, speaking after the game added "I cannot explain what has happened to me after that, I think I need to see a doctor. It feels like we have won the trophy."

Borussia Dortmund vs Malaga: UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal Preview

 Last week at La Rosaleda, Borussia Dortmund failed to put away some really good chances against Malaga and as a result come into the 2nd leg of their UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal tie at home on level pegging, 0-0 on aggregate. They could have very well come here with at least a 2 goal advantage, away goals to boot, if Mario Gotze in particular had had his finishing boots on.

Of all 4 quarterfinal ties, this one is the most finely balanced. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have established sizable first leg advantages to be in control in their respective ties while Barcelona inspite of conceding a late equalizer will be more than happy having scored 2 precious away goals and with the 2nd leg at the Camp Nou. Juergen Klopp and Dortmund will no question be disappointed that they have to start with a clean slate, but you would still tip last year's Bundesliga champions to go through.

Dortmund are now the only team in the competition to remain unbeaten after Juventus' run was brought to an end by Bayern Munich last week. They faced stiffer opposition in the group stages and managed to come through with flying colors beating the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City. So, on paper, Malaga would appear a considerably lighter challenge as compared to those 2 sides. But, this is the knockout stage, when second chances are at a premium and the stakes are that much higher. The quality of the Dortmund strike force is exemplary. It is a team that is never short on goals and Klopp is not the kind of manager that would change the way his team plays in Europe.

Testimony to that was their 1st leg performance where they were clearly the better side. They were abetted by Malaga's resolute dedication to defence with an emphasis on not conceding away goals. Manuel Pellegrini has played it smart so far; in the previous round against Porto, he opted for damage limitation in the 1st leg in Portugal and his side came away with only a 1-0 loss, something which they managed to overturn in the return leg at home. This time with the 1st leg at home, he chose caution by choosing to eliminate the threat of away goals and leaving the fate of the tie to be decided in Gelsinkerchen.

Dortmund boast an intimidating home record in this year's Champions League. They have a perfect record having won all 4 home games, scoring 7 goals and conceding just 1. Gotze has been involved in 6 of the last 10 goals that Dortmund have scored; it is no surprise then that his off color performance in Spain has left his side with work to do at home if they are to progress into the final four. Their front line is as good as it gets with Marko Reus combining with the aforementioned Gotze and Robert Lewandowski to lethal effect. And it is unlikely that Dortmund would be as wasteful as they were in the 1st leg and if Malaga concede early, it could very well be a long night for them.

Malaga to their credit have been very efficient in seeing out games. Unfancied in the group stages, they managed to emerge as winners from a group that included AC Milan and Zenit St. Petersburg, both of whom were heavily favored to come through.  They have a good bunch of young players along with some wily veterans such as Joaquin, Martin Demichelis and Javier Saviola in the mix. The pick of the lot is Spanish sensation Isco, who has been a revelation so far and is widely sought after by the big boys of Europe. Good in scoring and setting up others, he will be crucial to Malaga's plans of upsetting the Dortmund apple cart. Malaga, along with Juventus and Porto, have the most clean sheets (5) in this year's competition, and if they can shut out the Germans for the second week running, they may be joining their more illustrious Spanish compatriots in the semi-finals.

TEAM NEWS
Borussia Dortmund will receive a major boost as Mat Hummels is set to return to action after being sidelined with a groin injury that he picked up in the Round of 16 clash against Shakhtar Donetsk. Jakub 'Kuba' Blaszczykowski is also expected to come in to team up with Reus and Gotze in a 3 behind striker Lewandowski.

Malaga suffered a couple of setbacks even as they managed to draw their home leg. 2 of their key players, centre back Weligton and midfielder Manuel Iturra, picked up yellow cards which sees them suspended for the 2nd leg.


Malaga need one goal to make sure that the tie doesn't go the distance and finishes in normal time. Pellegrini has been here before with Villareal and is an expert when it comes to grinding out results. However, with the suspensions to key defenders and the home form of Dortmund, not to forget that they were lucky to escape with a stalemate last week, the Germans would still be slight favorites to go through. A result in the other direction would definitely be an upset.

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Borussia Dortmund: UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Preview

German champions Borussia Dortmund will make a trip to the Donbass Arena in Ukraine tonight as they face a tricky tie against Ukrainian Shakhtar Donetsk. Dortmund’s return to the knock-out phase of the Champions League marks the culmination of Juergen Klopp ‘s campaign started 3 years ago to bring Borussia back into the big league of European football. After winning back to back Bundesliga titles the last 2 years, they have made the step up in Europe after having failed to qualify in the previous attempts.

Dortmund finished as Winners of the dreaded Group of Death ahead of the likes of Spanish champions Real Madrid, English champions Manchester City & Dutch champions Ajax. That they were unbeaten en route to the knock-out phase was even more remarkable as they were impressive both home and away in the most demanding group of all. Filled with quality in all areas of the pitch, Dortmund play an attractive brand of football with their attacking quartet of midfielders Mario Goetze, Marko Reus & Jakub Błaszczykowski with striker Robert Lewandowski causing all sorts of problems to opposing defences. They have been backed up by their excellent backline where Germany international Mat Hummels  along with Neven Subotic, Tomas Pisczek & Marcel Schmelzer have been rock solid and conceded just 5 goals in the Group games against some of the finest opposition in the continent. Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan who anchors the Dortmund midfield has not travelled to Ukraine while both Pisczek and Schmelzer are set to face a late fitness test. Though struggling domestically, 15 points behind leaders Bayern Munich, Dortmund have been top notch in Europe and under the stewardship of Klopp look to be getting back to business in the big league.

Shakhtar Donetsk were one of the most impressive teams in the group phase as they progressed from Group E as Runners-Up behind Juventus & ahead of Chelsea, the reigning European champions.  Their dazzling attacking style influenced by a whole host of Brazilians in the squad caught the eye of many and the 1^st leg will witness a battle between 2 of the best attacks of the tournament this year. Top scorer Willian, who netted 4 goals in group play and who was their brightest star, has left the club though for richer pastures in a £30 million move to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala. But even in his absence, Shakhtar can boast the likes of Luiz Adriano, who is their leading assister with 3, along with fellow Brazilians Fernandinho, Alex Teixeira & new signing Taison , and led by the superb Darjo Srna will prove to be quite a handful for Klopp’s Dortmund to deal with.