Dortmund Eliminate Atletico To Evoke Spirit Of 1997 And 2013

Marcel Sabitzer and Marco Reus express their joyous celebration as Dortmund secures a 4-2 lead against Atlético Madrid in the quarterfinal second leg of the Champions League. A beautiful moment captured by photographer Alex Gottschalk via Getty Images.

What a match! Borussia Dortmund had a wild ride at the SIGNAL IDUNA Park, but they managed to come back from a 2-1 disadvantage against Atlético Madrid and win 4-2, securing a spot in the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time in six years. The last time they made it this far was in 2013, when they even reached the final, but unfortunately lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich at Wembley.

This season has a striking similarity to the previous one. The championship match will once again be held at Wembley, and Bayern is also still in contention. Another similarity to 2013 is the determination of Dortmund to overcome setbacks, especially their memorable triumph over Malaga in the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinals, the rival team from Spain was Atlético Madrid who were determined to keep fighting. Despite scoring goals from Julian Brandt (34') and Ian Maatsen (39'), Dortmund had a tough time advancing to the next round as Atlético Madrid made a comeback due to an own goal scored by Mats Hummels (48') and an impressive shot by Ángel Correa (64').

Afterwards, there was an amazing display by Marcel Sabitzer, a midfielder from Austria. Sabitzer started by helping Niclas Füllkrug’s header, which resulted in the score being 3-2 at the 71st minute. Then, he scored the goal that determined the outcome of the match at the 74th minute.

Sabitzer really stood out as the star player of the game, but UEFA chose to give the Man of the Match Award to Brandt instead. Despite this, Brandt acknowledged that the game was intense and enjoyable for both the team and the fans. However, he also admitted that Sabitzer was the most crucial player on the field, despite not receiving the official recognition.

Even though UEFA named Julian Brandt as the Man of the Match, it is clear that Marcel Sabitzer made the greatest contribution to the game. (Picture credit: Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

At the end of the day, the tranquil Austrian individual will not be too concerned about the UEFA award. To him and all the other individuals at Dortmund, the outcome and qualifying for the Champions League semifinals will be more significant than any individual recognition.

Moving forward in the tournament could have major consequences for Dortmund. The team has already secured a spot in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States and come with a substantial cash prize.

Dortmund hasn't made it to the 2024/25 Champions League season yet. They're in fifth place in the Bundesliga, trailing behind Leipzig due to goal differential. However, the Bundesliga's victory in the latest game has positively impacted their likelihood of obtaining a fifth Champions League spot. This achievement would be made possible by ranking in the top two of the UEFA coefficient standings.

Depending solely on the coefficient rankings can be a risky approach for Dortmund. Undoubtedly, Edin Terzic's team would prefer to secure a top-four spot in the Bundesliga and achieve their goal that way.

The problem is that Dortmund has not been consistently successful in the league. Despite having great games against Bayern in the Klassiker, such as their 2-0 win, they often lose or tie with teams like Hoffenheim, Werder, and Wolfsburg.

Truly, Dortmund showcased their unpredictable nature, switching between two personalities, just like the characters Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, throughout both of their matches against Atlético. Terzic himself recognized this in his statements given to the media after the game.

Terzic expressed his great joy and pride, stating that they faced two challenging moments during the match but were resilient and earned the win. He further revealed that the team deserved to advance, particularly against a powerful squad like Atlético Madrid.

What's the final destination? Dortmund will confront the PSG team first, which they are familiar with from the group stage. Even though Dortmund managed to come out on top in the group, PSG managed to win 2-0 on their home turf and settle for a draw with Dortmund (1-1).

Terzic stated that the team is now up against Paris. The initial game played against them did not go well, but in the second match, they adapted to their strategies better and came closer to winning. Terzic believes that the team has improved since the group stage and is now stronger than before.

Despite their lack of consistency in the Bundesliga, Terzic is correct in his assessment of Dortmund's performance. Interestingly, the team seems to operate differently in European competitions compared to their domestic games. This pattern has been observed before, back in 2013 when Dortmund's Champions League performance differed greatly from their Bundesliga games.

Back in 1997, Dortmund faced a tough time in their league matches following their back-to-back title wins in 1995 and 1996. Despite their struggles, they still managed to make it to the final, where they emerged victorious against Juventus in Munich. However, they were unable to qualify for the Champions League through their league performances.

Back then, Dortmund was typically not favored to win, but they still managed to gain enough energy to ultimately come out on top. So, it wouldn't be surprising for fans who have been keeping track of their strange season to see Dortmund make it to Wembley and possibly win.

Manuel Veth is known for hosting the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and being the Area Manager in the USA for the website Transfermarkt. He's also had his written work featured in various media outlets like the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, and Pro Soccer USA. You can keep up with him on Twitter by following @ManuelVeth and on the app Threads at @manuveth.