Packed with passionate home fans, Borussia Dortmund’s imposing south stand — dubbed “The Yellow Wall” — is the “gigantic monster” lurking to test Paris Saint-Germain stars such as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in their round of 16, first-leg Champions League encounter tomorrow.
“It’s just a fantastic feeling that I haven’t had before,” is how Dortmund’s star striker Erling Haaland described scoring in front of “Die Gelbe Wand” at the Signal Iduna Park.
The 19-year-old has bagged nine goals since Dortmund snapped him up for 20 million euros (US$22 million) from Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg. Five of them have come in his three home appearances games.
Photo: Reuters
“If you are the opposition, it crushes you, but if you have her at your back as a goalkeeper, it’s a fantastic feeling,” is how former Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller describes the experience of the imposing terrace.
For Bundesliga games, the south stand, which is 100m wide and 40m high, is packed with 25,000 fans, but capacity is reduced to 16,000 to meet UEFA regulations for Champions League games.
Nevertheless, the noise will be deafening when Dortmund walk out tomorrow.
“Just look at the south stand in Dortmund,” Johnny Rotten, lead singer of British punk band the Sex Pistols and a passionate Arsenal fan has said on the matter. “They all stand, chant and make such a noise that the stand seems like the pharynx of some huge, roaring monster. It’s fantastic.”
In Ligue 1, PSG on Saturday were held to a pulsating 4-4 draw against struggling Amiens after erasing a three-goal deficit only to concede a stoppage-time equalizer.
Elsewhere in Ligue 1, Nimes Olympique beat Angers SCO 1-0, Nantes and Metz played out a goalless draw, Girondins de Bordeaux and Dijon FCO drew 2-2 and OGC Nice beat Toulouse 2-0.
Meanwhile, Liverpool face Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano tomorrow as the team to beat for those hoping to succeed Juergen Klopp’s men as European champions.
Liverpool are coasting towards a first Premier League title in 30 years having dropped just two points all season and are likely to be crowned English champions before the Champions League quarter-finals commence in early April.
Klopp on Saturday described his team’s 25-point lead at the top of the Premier League as “insane,” after Sadio Mane struck to give them a 1-0 win against Norwich City.
The champions-elect were short of their fluent best in blustery conditions caused by a storm Dennis at Carrow Road, but returned immediately to winning ways after their winter break.
In the other Premier League match on Saturday, Burnley beat Southhampton 2-1.
On Wednesday, Tottenham Hotspur face RB Leipzig, while Atalantia BC are to play Valencia.
Leipzig on Saturday reclaimed the Bundesliga’s top spot with a 3-0 win over struggling Werder Bremen, while elsewhere in Germany, Hertha BSC beat SC Paderborn 2-1, Bayer 04 Leverkusen defeated Union Berlin 3-2, VfL Wolfsburg beat TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 3-2, Borussia Moenchengladbach won 4-1 against Fortuna Dusseldorf, and SC Freiburg and Augsburg drew 1-1.
Although Bayern Munich’s grip on the Bundesliga is being challenged this season, they will be confident of gaining revenge for losing the 2012 Champions League final on home soil to Chelsea, who have won just four of their past 13 Premier League games, when they meet on Tuesday next week. Bayern were to play Cologne in the Bundesliga after press time last night.
Barcelona lurch from one institutional crisis to another and have a new coach, Quique Setien, with no previous Champions League experience for a tricky tie against SSC Napoli on Tuesday next week.
However, an Antoine Griezmann strike on Saturday set them on their way against Getafe in La Liga before they survived a late onslaught from the gritty visitors to win 2-1.
Elsewhere in La Liga, RCD Mallorca scored the only goal in their clash with Deportivo Alaves, Villarreal beat Levante UD 2-1 and Granada defeated Valladolid 2-1.
Manchester City’s stunning two-season ban from the Champions League handed down by UEFA on Friday means it could be now or never if the English champions are ever to conquer Europe with Pep Guardiola in charge.
However, City face a rejuvenated Real Madrid in the last 16 on Wednesday next week, with their opponents having shot to the top of La Liga on a 14-game unbeaten run ahead of their game against RC Celta de Vigo, which was to be played after press time.
The success or otherwise of Juventus’ season will be judged on winning the Champions League for the first time in 24 years.
A kind last-16 draw against Olympique Lyonnais, with their first-leg match set for Wednesday next week, should give Maurizio Sarri more time to turn the Serie A champions into potential conquerors of Europe, but big questions are already being asked of Sarri’s suitability for that target as Juve are struggling to hold off Inter and SS Lazio to preserve their domestic dominance in Italy.
Juventus were to play Brescia after press time. In Serie A games on Saturday, Atalanta beat AS Roma 2-1, US Lecce beat SPAL 2-1 and Genoa downed Bologna 3-0.
Additional reporting by AP and Reuters
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