Niklas Süle and his teammates put paid to Barcelona’s high-profile offensive with their high level of commitment. The defender couldn’t explain why BVB doesn’t put in performances like this every weekend.
Even optimistic Dortmund fans would hardly have dared to dream of reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League after the 4-0 defeat in the first leg and given Barcelona’s impressive form – the Catalans traveled to the Ruhr Valley without a defeat in the calendar year.
But within the team, it apparently looked quite different: from minute one, there was a sense of belief in the miracle. “I have to say, I haven’t played that many games for Borussia Dortmund where we stood up for each other like that. Where we fought like that. I’m extremely proud of the team,” Niklas Süle explained on Prime Video.
As a result, BVB once again got a taste of a magical night in the Champions League, which ultimately didn’t happen due to the deficit from the first leg, but it clearly gives them confidence for the season’s final push in the Bundesliga. But such performances in the Champions League have recently been followed by disappointment in the Bundesliga. “It’s always the same question for us: why not in the Bundesliga games? We have to face that now on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” said Süle.
However, he was unable to answer it himself: “A few people have been asking themselves this question for a few years now. I believe that we have an incredible amount of quality.” Especially when BVB perform like they did on Tuesday evening against one of the “best teams in the world”, the long-standing criticism is justified, according to Süle. However, he also emphasized that the team is looking for solutions “every day”.
If they can turn their performance around in the remaining five Bundesliga games, Dortmund could experience such moments of glory in the upcoming season despite currently being six points behind in fourth place. There is great belief in a comeback. “We have five difficult games. But if we win them all, there’s a good chance we’ll still be playing Champions League next year. That has to be the goal for our squad,” explained the defender.
He is playing an important role in the team following the injury to Nico Schlotterbeck. The 49-time German international showed what he is capable of against the Catalans. Among other things, he prevented a big chance with a strong tackle against Raphinha (31′). “I’ve had one or two phases in my career where you have to dig deep. But I’m the kind of guy who still knows what he can do and what quality he has,” said Süle. With this, he can ‘definitely’ play for Borussia. He impressively proved this on Tuesday.
