On Saturday, June 1st, Edin Terzić will lead a team for the first time in his coaching career in the Champions League final. This match against Real Madrid is undoubtedly the most important of his life, but can he take the upper hand over Carlo Ancelotti?
Not necessarily programmed to succeed at the highest level, Terzić has gradually proven his worth over the past few months. Despite the ups and downs, he has managed to take Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final – the third time in the Ruhr club’s history after 1997 and 2013.
Just over a year after the immense disappointment in the Bundesliga, Terzić and his BVB have the opportunity to take revenge on football by winning against Real Madrid at Wembley. Moreover, the setting is simply perfect for achieving such a feat. Even if Dortmund has shown great qualities in this European campaign, the status of David against Goliath is rather deserved. And, this is far from derogatory, when we know that Terzić has a great deal of responsibility for the success of his team.
It took time to understand that he is a technician capable of making a team win, but the qualification against Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final was the confirmation.
READ MORE: Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid: Probable lineups
After Peter Bosz, Diego Simeone and Luis Enrique, it is Carlo Ancelotti who stands in the way of the 41-year-old German coach. The latter has managed to get the better of some very good references, will he be able to repeat his performance against the man who holds the record for C1 wins? Perhaps… And, despite the lack of enthusiasm around him, it is worth remembering that if Edin Terzić triumphs at Wembley, he will become the youngest victorious coach in the Champions League since a certain Pep Guardiola in 2009.
An imaginable feat?
No defeat in the final of the biggest European competition since 1981, Real Madrid seems untouchable when it plays in such a context. And, it’s no secret: when the Spanish club plays matches with such stakes, they almost never miss out.
Yes, there was the difficult qualification against Leipzig in the round of 16, but in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, Ancelotti’s men came through with flying colors, showing off their individual and collective qualities. For these reasons alone, Dortmund is facing a mountain. In order to overthrow the favorite, Terzić’s game plan will have to be impeccable to hope for victory. His Italian counterpart is incredibly good at galvanizing his troops when it matters.
The German technician will therefore have to respond on this level by preparing his players in the best possible way: that is to say, not to suffer from an inferiority complex. Because that would be the first mistake. But he seems ready to do things in the best possible way, judging by some of his preparation that has leaked out. Indeed, Terzić asked the U23 team to wear white jerseys and play with the same system as a training exercise. A very interesting way to approach the final.
Despite the fact that the mental part is vital when facing a team like Real, Dortmund will have to execute a perfect plan to win.
As we saw against PSG, the German team showed exemplary solidarity to prevent Luis Enrique’s team from turning the scoreboard around. On Saturday, they will probably have to be even better. To do that, Terzić must already have several ideas in his head. And, one of them could well be to make the opponent play high possession football. Of course, the Madridistas know how to be effective on set pieces, but we know that they are even stronger in transition thanks in particular to Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo.
It’s not just the two Brazilians who will be there to bring danger into the opposing box, but if Terzić and his men manage to limit the expression of the two attackers, the BVB has a good chance of conceding as few goals as possible. In return, it is Borussia Dortmund’s players who will have to be clinical. Karim Adeyemi and Jadon Sancho impressed against PSG, these two will have to repeat their performance at Wembley with the hope that Niclas Füllkrug can once again turn into a goalscorer.
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