BERLIN – Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic will know that his job is on the line against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last-16, second leg at home on March 13.
A 1-1 draw in the Netherlands makes the assignment simple – the winner in Dortmund will progress to the last eight.
Born and raised on Dortmund’s outskirts, Terzic’s story of the childhood fan whose first head coaching job was at his favourite club is the stuff of fairy tales.
Winning the German Cup as interim boss in 2021 before getting Dortmund closer to a league title last season than anyone since Jurgen Klopp, losing out on goal difference, had him living an increasingly rare modern football story.
But a poor domestic season, which has Dortmund out of the German Cup and fighting for a spot in next season’s Champions League, has Terzic on thin ice.
“We still have everything in our own hands,” the 41-year-old coach insisted on Uefa.com.
“We need to win our home game, you have to win home games if you want to achieve something. PSV are not where they are for nothing. We need to get it right in the home game.”
Bayer Leverkusen’s stunning run under Xabi Alonso, who has his unbeaten side 10 points clear with nine games left and on course for a maiden Bundesliga title, along with Bayern Munich’s self-inflicted struggles this season, have taken the focus off Dortmund somewhat.
But an exit against a team from outside Europe’s top-five leagues, PSV’s impressive unbeaten domestic record under former Dortmund coach Peter Bosz notwithstanding, would likely prove the death knell for Terzic’s reign.
With Dortmund more reliant on the income from the Champions League than their immediate domestic rivals Leverkusen or RB Leipzig, the financial impact of failing to progress will also hit hard.
After a 2-1 win at Werder Bremen on March 9, Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl acknowledged his team’s struggles but said they were improving at the right time.
“We know we need to win to get to the next round. I see us as fully capable of beating a strong Eindhoven side, particularly at home,” he said of their Champions League clash.
“We will prepare for it well. It’s a final. In the past few weeks, the team has put ourselves more and more into a situation which gives us a chance to win games like this.”
Jadon Sancho scored what would become the winner against Werder, his first goal since returning to Germany on loan after a troubled time at Manchester United.
Dortmund will hope there is more to come from a player whose performances had him standing shoulder to shoulder with then teammates and now superstars Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham.
Sancho, who turns 24 on March 25, said: “The last time I was here, I had a goal or an assist in every game. I can understand the fans expect a lot of me – I expect a lot of myself.
“Of course, we simply have to win (on Wednesday). We have to play as a team and take our chances. We have an advantage because we’re at home in front of our fans. It’s a new game, a new challenge. We’ll be ready.” AFP
