We have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, with one of the matchups that may not necessarily be considered a top game or a highlighted match. Two good teams, no doubt, but far from a Real Madrid - Manchester City clash. The favorite is Atlético Madrid, but we should not overlook the Borussia Dortmund team either, as based on their current form, they are capable of causing an upset.
Just a year and a half ago, they wanted to sack Diego Simeone from Atlético Madrid. Names of new coaches were thrown around, but Cholo ultimately got one last chance, which he took advantage of, by putting together the best team in Spain in just a few months. While they did not win the league title last year or this year, they have visibly improved tactically, and the team has become much more confident, as shown in the second leg against Inter, where they proved that nothing is impossible.
In the past, Atlético was known for their defense and physical play. That has stayed the same, and in terms of organization, Atlético Madrid is even better now. Everyone still defends, even the forwards, which is why Antoine Griezmann's return was crucial. The system they play is a 3-5-2, which turns into a 5-3-2 defensively, compacting in their own half and leaving no space for the opponent's attackers.
The main question for BVB in recent months has been whether Edin Terzic is the right coach. He stumbled in a title race against Bayern last year - this year, they comfortably won the Bundesliga against Leverkusen, but they faced troubles earlier in the season, leading to concerns from the management. They even brought in former Dortmund players to the coaching staff in winter.
Simeone Vs Terzic
This is already Terzic's third knockout stage in the Champions League. He is preparing for his second quarter-final, and while he has performed well against weaker opponents (Sevilla and PSV), he has fallen short against stronger ones (Manchester City and Chelsea), but he still gave them a run for their money. Terzic is not inexperienced, but Diego Simeone has much more experience.
Another point in favor of the Argentine is that while Terzic often hesitates to make necessary changes, Simeone will not hesitate to substitute Morata and Griezmann in a crucial Champions League match. Terzic's disadvantage is that he is not very experimental with changes, and when he does make a move, it may not always be the right one. However, Atlético Madrid cannot afford to be overconfident, as Dortmund has achieved some impressive results this season in important matches.
Therefore, Borussia Dortmund could not afford to rest for the match, despite minimal rotation attempts by Terzic, it's not the same as having a week of rest. Based on this, we see the highest value in the home team's victory. If Atlético Madrid does not win and get eliminated, Simeone will likely be sacked, as the basic expectation is to reach the Champions League semi-finals, especially since a good league position has slipped away again. Overall, we are looking at a tactically exciting match.