Dortmund's Terzic calls on Sancho to star once more against PSG

Sancho was outstanding as Dortmund beat PSG 1-0 at home in last week's Champions League semi-final first leg, setting them up nicely for Tuesday's return match in the French capital. "We have talked about the short-term future. This is tomorrow, with a very important game, maybe also the biggest game in his career so far," Terzic told reporters at the Parc des Princes on the eve of the match when asked if discussions had been had with Sancho.

The 24-year-old returned to Dortmund in January on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season. The Bundesliga side's sporting director, Sebastien Kehl, said on Sunday that they "will try everything" to keep him at the club where he previously starred for four years before being sold to United in 2021.

"We are really happy with him. From all sides we are happy to have him in our team. I think you can feel that he is happy to be with us," Terzic added. "We don't know how long the story will continue. This is part of the deal, that he is not our player from July 1, but until then we are going to make this time that we have as special as possible.

"We are really feeling that he is in a good way. I think that big games are decided by big players and tomorrow he will have the opportunity to decide it." Dortmund are currently fifth in the Bundesliga, but they have upset the odds in the Champions League, notably topping their group ahead of PSG on the way to a first semi-final in the competition since the reached the final in 2013.

Eleven years ago they lost the final to Bayern Munich at Wembley, and there is the possibility that the two German giants could meet again, in the same stadium, this time. "What we did last week might not be enough this week so we still need to improve," warned Terzic, whose side hold the advantage thanks to Niclas Fuellkrug's strike in the first leg.

"What we didn't like last week was that we had four players defending against Kylian Mbappe. We also know they will do better tomorrow, so we need to find the balance that we didn't really have last week. "If we have come this far we want to do better still and go all the way to win the title."

'Big dream'

Terzic was also asked if PSG's desire to win the Champions League in Mbappe's last season with the club might prove too powerful for the visitors in Tuesday's second leg, but dismissed such suggestions. "That is their mission, but we also have a big dream and are eager to make it come true," said the 41-year-old.

Meanwhile defender Mats Hummels, who played for Dortmund in the 2013 final, said his team's lack of consistency need not indicate that reaching the final will be a step too far. Dortmund have won only once in eight games this season against Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern, VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig, the four teams above them in the Bundesliga.

"I think we are the team in the Bundesliga that only collected the fewest points against the top five teams, but in the Champions League we have done a fantastic job so far," he said. "We know that we are ready to win games, this is something that we have shown this season and it doesn't matter if at home or away from home.

"The only thing that we haven't shown is that we are ready to win every game we play, and this is the reason that we are struggling in the Bundesliga, but also the reason why we are sitting here and talking ahead of a semi-final."

 

May 6, 2024