When the final whistle blew at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday evening, bedlam ensued in the visiting block; Borussia Dortmund had just secured their place in the 2024 Champions League final.
Having overcome Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 over the course of two legs, BvB had proved many critics of theirs wrong. Nevertheless, during each stage of their run to the final, Die Schwarzgelben have often been on the receiving end of onlookers doubting their credentials.
The group of death
When the draw for the Champions League group stage was conducted, BvB were placed in what many believed was the group of death. On paper, a group containing PSG, Newcastle, and AC Milan presented Dortmund with a difficult task.
It was, however, a task they proved to pass with flying colours. Finishing top of the group was considered a monumental achievement for Edin Terzić’s side, but as stated by club captain Emre Can when speaking in the mixed zone after their second leg clash in Paris, not everyone believed that they would be able to achieve such a feat:
“I’m extremely proud of the team when you see what we’ve done all season in the Champions League. After the second matchday in the group phase, nobody believed in us anymore. You have to be honest. We had one point. But we continued to believe in ourselves; that was the most important thing, and that’s also the reason why we will be in the final at Wembley on June 1st. We deserve a lot of respect for the team.”
“Not many people bet on us. But we had incredible energy on the pitch here. Of course, you also need a bit of luck. We forced this luck on ourselves. Then the ball hits the crossbar and not into the net. So it’s just deserved!”
With Bayern Munich set to face Real Madrid Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday evening, BvB will find out who they face. One can assume that whoever prevails will more than likely be the favourite to lift the Champions League trophy.
However, as remarked by Can, this is not something that will frustrate them; if anything, it will only motivate this Dortmund side more.
“They can now keep their mouths shut. We are now in the final stage, and rightly so. That’s definitely good. We don’t care who the final opponent will be. We played against big teams and won against all of them. No matter who comes, we will be ready and give everything to win this thing.”
GGFN | Will Shopland
