BVB boss Ricken upbeat for Turin trip ahead of CL opener | OneFootball

It's starting again. On Tuesday (September 16, 9 PM), Borussia Dortmund kicks off the Champions League with an away match against Juventus Turin. "A big challenge," says Sports Director Lars Ricken (49) about the duel with Italy's record champion.

Ricken himself has only the best memories of the upcoming opponent. After all, he scored the final goal in the 3-1 victory in the "Champions League" final in 1997. "A classic from the 90s: UEFA Cup, Champions League – those were magical nights," the former professional fondly recalls the matches against the Bianconeri in a club interview.

Juve stands undefeated in Serie A. In three games, the "Old Lady" has achieved three victories. On Saturday, in a wild 4-3 win against Inter Milan, seven goals were scored. Until the 82nd minute, the Turin team was trailing 2-3 at their home Allianz Stadium. But Khephren Thuram (24) and youngster Vasilije Adžić (19) turned the game around in injury time.

"When I see what form Juventus is in, it is currently one of the biggest challenges in European football," Ricken is impressed by the Turin team. "But we can also look forward to it."

"A really good squad together"

But Dortmund has also started the new season well. With seven points, they are in second place in the Bundesliga behind defending champion FC Bayern Munich. "I believe we can fly to Turin with momentum and optimism," Ricken says. The team has "stabilized" and "brought in consistency." The Sports Director looks back: "In the last ten Bundesliga games, we have collected 26 points." And further: "We are truly prepared for an extremely strong Turin team and are flying there with great anticipation."

Besides the long-term injured Nico Schlotterbeck (25) and Emre Can (31), BVB coach Niko Kovač (53) must also do without Pascal Groß. The 34-year-old midfielder is suffering from an upset stomach. Newcomers Aarón Anselmino (20) and Fábio Silva (23) are also unavailable. Despite the personnel issues, Ricken is convinced of the Dortmund squad: "Otherwise, we have a really good squad together."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.