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'We're not the favourites' - Borussia Dortmund manager cautiously optimistic ahead of Real Madrid showdown
Niko Kovac knows exactly what Borussia Dortmund are getting into when they face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday.
The teams are familiar foes, having last met in the league phase of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League, with the Spanish giants walking away 5-2 winners. Prior to that, Los Blancos defeated Dortmund 2-0 in the 2024 Champions League final, extending their dominance atop the all-time UCL winners list with their 15th title.
It's these recent results, along with Real Madrid's historical standing as the winningest side in Europe, that have informed Kovac's assessment of his team's chances this weekend.
The Dortmund manager knows that his side are up against a massive challenge — albeit one that may be more recognisable under new Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso.
"Real Madrid have a great team with a number of excellent individual players," Kovac told the media this week. "They play a very vertical and fast style.
"We’re basically seeing the same style of football that Xabi already played at [Bayer] Leverkusen."
Dortmund got off to a fast start in the last-16 against Mexican outfit CF Monterrey, with Serhou Guirassy scoring twice in the first 15 minutes to pace the Black and Yellow to a 2-1 victory.
The intensity of the opening 45 minutes of that match is what Kovac says will be required by his side to get a positive result as the underdogs against the La Liga powerhouses.
"We're not the favourites," Kovac said. "In football, you have to play first.
"If we perform like we did in the first half against Monterrey, we'll have opportunities."
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