Edin Terzic’s Borussia Dortmund can seal a spot within the Champions League final 16 by profitable at AC Milan on Tuesday, sparking some positivity amid a stuttering home marketing campaign. Already ten factors behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen with simply 12 video games performed, Terzic’s males have nevertheless impressed on the European stage this season. Dortmund sit first in a Champions League group which incorporates Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle, having conceded simply two objectives in 4 matches.

In the league nevertheless they’re transport greater than 1.5 objectives per sport on common and look out of the title race with solely a 3rd of the season gone.

Now on the helm for nearly a 12 months and a half, Terzic has confronted heavy criticism in Germany, with some calling for the 41-year-old’s head.

Terzic and people in cost at Signal Iduna Park will help to silence the chatter by securing progress to the knockout section towards final season’s semi-finalists.

‘Not that good’

Speaking at Dortmund’s AGM on Sunday, membership CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke contrasted his facet’s performances within the league with their showings in Europe.

“We were hoping for two or three more points (in the league) at this stage,” Watzke stated, “but the sky isn’t falling.”

“We are in first place in the (Champions League) group which cannot be over-estimated. The group is fragile and anything can happen.

“On Tuesday, we’ve got an opportunity to qualify early with a win. I would not have dared to dream of that on the time of the draw. That’s the reality.”

Watzke said the club had “been uncovered to a media barrage for months that I’ve not skilled in ages.

“I have to double check every week that we’re not fighting relegation!”

The CEO, who took over in 2005 and helped save Dortmund from monetary damage, stated “we beat Newcastle, but even then they say ‘well they’re not that good either.'”

Despite the criticism, Watzke has been Terzic’s fundamental advocate, usually calling for persistence for the Dortmund-born-and-raised coach.

The CEO has drawn parallels between Terzic and former mentor Jurgen Klopp, who didn’t end within the prime 4 till his third season in cost, when he received the league.

‘We need not disguise’

Dortmund drew the reverse fixture 0-0 with Milan in October and one other draw, or a loss, would most probably imply the German facet must beat Paris at residence in December to progress.

Besides the morale enhance that might come from making it via this season’s strongest Champions League group, qualifying has large monetary significance for the member-run membership.

Dortmund, who have been European champions 26 years in the past, ended a run of three matches with no win within the league on Saturday however made powerful work of it, coming from two objectives all the way down to beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-2 at residence.

“It was extremely important that we started the next block of games with a win,” Terzic stated on Saturday.

Terzic joked with reporters after the Gladbach sport that “it definitely won’t be boring with us this season” earlier than crediting this facet’s “spirit, energy and faith” within the comeback.

Dortmund have now rescued 11 factors from shedding conditions this season, the second-highest within the Bundesliga.

They face a season-defining set of fixtures within the lead-up to Christmas, taking over Milan, league leaders Leverkusen, third-placed Stuttgart within the German Cup, RB Leipzig and PSG.

Captain Emre Can, the previous Liverpool and Juventus midfielder, stated on the AGM on Sunday that the Milan sport “won’t be easy at all but we’ll try and win.”

“We are on top of the table. We don’t need to hide… we want to measure ourselves against the best.”

Watzke additionally primed his troops for the problem on Sunday, saying “we live for games like this.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)