Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Borussia Dortmund v RB Leipzig - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - November 2, 2024 Borussia Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin reacts REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen/ File Photo
(Reuters) - Borussia Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin believes Dinamo Zagreb pose a serious threat in Wednesday's Champions League clash, noting their impressive turnaround after starting with a heavy loss to Bayern Munich.
Dortmund are in the top section of the Champions League table after three wins, while the Croatian capital club are currently in the play-off section, with seven points from four matches.
Dinamo's most memorable outing came in the form of a 9-2 thrashing by Bayern on the opening matchday. However, Sahin acknowledged the quality in Nenad Bjelica's side.
"We’ve watched a lot of Dinamo’s matches. They’ve impressively earned seven points. You can see the coach’s influence — it’s a team that reflects his ideas. They have some strong players and big names," Sahin told a press conference on Tuesday.
"We don't want to stray from our idea. We want to control the ball and play football. But we’re ready."
Despite Niklas Sule and Karim Adeyemi staying in Dortmund to recover from injuries, Sahin confirmed that Emre Can and Serhou Guirassy had travelled with the team ahead of the clash.
"Emre wasn’t able to fully participate in today’s session. But Serhou trained well," Sahin said, adding that both were options for the match.
The game, Dortmund's first against a Croatian side in Europe, will be held at Stadion Maksimir, famed for its intense atmosphere. Sahin, however, insisted his team are unfazed.
"I don’t think it will shock the players. Our squad operates at the highest level. They’ve seen and experienced a lot," he said, adding that Dortmund also boast a unique atmosphere, including the "Yellow Wall" of fans in the southern stand.
"What happens in the stands doesn’t matter much. The players enjoy it."
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
