BIG MATCH FEATURE: Dortmund v Atletico

Borussia Dortmund face Atlético de Madrid for a place in the Uefa Champions League semifinals with the German club needing to retrieve a 2-1 first-leg deficit in front of their own fans.

Atleti took control of the first game at the Estadio Metropolitano on 10 April thanks to first-half goals from Rodrigo De Paul (4) and Samuel Lino (32), but their visitors worked their way into the match after halftime and got their reward when substitute Sébastien Haller scored with nine minutes left. It might have been even better for Dortmund, with replacements Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Julian Brandt both denied by the woodwork in the closing stages.

Atlético made it to the last four three times between 2013-14 and 2016-17 but have not got as far since, while Dortmund – European champions in 1996-97 – last featured in the semifinals in 2012-13, when they ended as runners-up to Bayern München in an all-German final.

This season, Diego Simeone's Atlético finished top of Group E unbeaten before getting the better of the 2022-23 runners-up Inter Milan on penalties in the round of 16, where Dortmund – group F winners in the autumn – edged out PSV Eindhoven.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Dortmund wins 3

Atlético wins 3

Draws 1

Dortmund goals 9

Atlético goals 7

The teams were paired together in the 2018-19 group stage, each recording a home victory.

Dortmund were 4-0 winners in Germany on matchday 3 thanks to a first-half goal from Axel Witsel (38) – now of Atlético – and strikes in the closing stages from Raphaël Guerreiro (73, 89) and Jadon Sancho (83).

That equalled Atlético's heaviest European defeat and was their heaviest reverse under Diego Simeone.

The Spanish side turned the tables on a Dortmund side coached by Lucien Favre in Madrid on matchday 4, Saúl Ñíguez (33) scoring in the first half and Antoine Griezmann (80) in the second.

The teams finished level on 13 points at the top of group A, Dortmund taking first place on the head-to-head record.

The sides have met in four other matches before this season, including in the 1996/97 Champions League group stage when each recorded an away victory. Dortmund were 1-0 winners in Spain against an Atlético team including current coach Simeone thanks to a Stefan Reuter goal before a 2-1 Atlético success in Germany; the pair finished level on 13 points, Atlético winning the section ahead of Dortmund on head-to-head record. It was the German club, however, who would go on to lift the trophy that season, beating Juventus in the final; Atlético were eliminated by Ajax in the quarterfinals.

Dortmund came out on top in the 1965-66 European Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinal between the teams, following a 1-1 draw in Spain with a 1-0 home victory. The German side also went on to win the trophy that season.

Look back at the first legs of the quarter-finals 🍿

Watch now on #UEFAtv 📺

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 15, 2024

 

FORM GUIDE

Dortmund

Record v Spanish clubs: W11 D12 L14 F52 A53

Home record v Spanish clubs: W8 D7 L3

Dortmund were paired with Sevilla in last season's group stage, winning 4-1 in Spain before a 1-1 home draw.

They had also beaten the Spanish side in the 2020-21 round of 16, winning 3-2 away before a 2-2 home draw with Erling Haaland scoring four of their five goals in the tie.

That 2021 success against Sevilla made Dortmund's record in two-legged ties against Spanish clubs W6 L3.

The German club have lost only three of their 18 home matches against Spanish visitors (W8 D7), and only one of the last ten (W5 D4).

Dortmund have managed three victories in their last 13 matches against Liga clubs, home and away (D5 L5).

Dortmund's record in European Cup quarterfinals is W4 L5:

2020-21 Manchester City L 2-4 (1-2 a, 1-2 h)

2016-17 Monaco L 3-6 (2-3 h, 1-3 a)

2013-14 Real Madrid L 2-3 (0-3 a, 2-0 h)

2012-13 Málaga W 3-2 (0-0 a, 3-2 h)

1997-98 Bayern München W 1-0 (0-0 a, 1-0 h aet)

1996-97 Auxerre W 4-1 (3-1 h, 1-0 a)

1995-96 Ajax L 0-3 (0-2 h, 0-1 a)

1963-64 Dukla Praha W 5-3 (4-0 a, 1-3 h)

1957-58 AC Milan L 2-5 (1-1 h, 1-4 a)

Dortmund have lost their last five quarterfinal matches and six of the last seven.

Last season's Bundesliga runners-up are in the Champions League for the 18th time overall and the eighth successive season. All but two of their last 11 campaigns have now extended into the knockout rounds.

In 202-23, Edin Terzić's team were second in group G behind eventual champions Manchester City before being knocked out by Chelsea in the round of 16 (1-0 h, 0-2 a).

That was the third time BVB had been eliminated in the last 16 in their last five Champions League campaigns.

This season Dortmund began with a 2-0 loss in Paris before being held 0-0 at home by Milan but breathed life into their group F campaign by beating Newcastle away (1-0) and at home (2-0) and sealed progress with a 3-1 win at San Siro on Matchday 5, concluding the group stage with a 1-1 draw at home to Paris.

Dortmund then drew 1-1 at PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16 first leg, progressing thanks to a 2-0 home win.

The victory against PSV made it six wins in Dortmund's last 15 home European games (D6 L3).

BVB have five wins in their last 11 home Champions League knockout matches (D1 L5).

European champions in 1997 and runners-up to Bayern München in the 2013 final at Wembley, Dortmund missed the chance to deny Bayern an 11th successive Bundesliga title in 2022-23, drawing 2-2 at home to Mainz on the final day to allow the Munich club to overtake them at the top of the table.

Dortmund have won eight of the 18 Uefa competition ties in which they lost the first leg away from home, although they were defeated in the last two, most recently against Manchester City in the 2020-21 Champions League quarterfinals (1-2 a, 1-2 h). That made their aggregate record when losing 2-1 in the away first leg W3 L4 with defeats in the last three.

Dortmund's record in Uefa penalty shoot-outs is W2 L2:

6-5 v Auxerre, 1992-93 Uefa Cup semifinal

3-1 v Rangers, 1999-2000 Uefa Cup third round

2-4 v Club Brugge, 2003-04 Uefa Champions League third qualifying round

3-4 v Udinese, 2008-09 Uefa Cup first round

ATLETICO MADRID

Record v German clubs: W22 D9 L19 F65 A62

Away record v German clubs: W6 D3 L15

Atlético were paired with German opponents in last season's group stage, losing 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen before a 2-2 home draw on Matchday 5 in which Yannick Carrasco had an added-time penalty saved, a result that ended the Spanish side's hopes of reaching the round of 16.

The first-leg win against Dortmund ended Atlético's six-game run without a victory against German opposition (D2 L4), since a 1-0 home victory against Leverkusen in the 2019-20 group stage.

That winless run included a 2-1 defeat by Leipzig in the one-off Champions League quarterfinal in Lisbon in August 2020.

Los Colchoneros had won their previous eight knockout ties against German sides, their last aggregate defeat before losing to Leipzig coming against Dynamo Dresden in the 1979-80 Uefa Cup first round (1-2 h, 0-3 a). Their knockout record in ties against German clubs is W12 L5.

The Spanish side also lost to Bayern in the 1974 European Cup final, going down 4-0 in the only final replay two days after a 1-1 draw.

Atlético's overall record against German clubs is now W21 D9 L19. They have lost eight of their last nine matches against Bundesliga clubs outside Spain, the exception a 4-2 win at Leverkusen in 2017.

Atleti are, however, unbeaten at home to Bundesliga opposition in 13 matches (W9 D4), dating back to the 1996-97 defeat by Dortmund.

Atlético's record in European Cup quarterfinals is W6 L5:

2021-22 Manchester City L 0-1 (0-1 a, 0-0 h)

2019-20 Leipzig L 1-2 (n)

2016-17 Leicester W 2-1 (1-0 h, 1-1 a)

2015-16 Barcelona W 3-2 (1-2 a, 2-0 h)

2014-15 Real Madrid L 0-1 (0-0 h, 0-1 a)

2013-14 Barcelona W 2-1 (1-1 a, 1-0 h)

1996-97 Ajax L 3-4 (1-1 a, 2-3 h)

1977-78 Club Brugge L 3-4 (0-2 a, 3-2 h)

1973-74 Crvena zvezda W 2-0 (2-0 a, 0-0 h)

1970-71 Legia Warszawa W 2-2 away goals (1-0 h, 1-2 a)

1958-59 Schalke W 4-1 (3-0 h, 1-1 a)

Atlético are in the European Cup quarterfinals for the 12th time, and the seventh in 11 seasons. They have won three of their last six quarterfinals.

Atlético are making their 14th Champions League appearance and an 11th in succession. They have featured every season since 2013-14.

Runners-up in 2014 and 2016, both against Real Madrid, Simeone's side failed to progress from their section for the first time in five seasons in 2022-23. However, unlike on the previous occasion in 2017-18, when they went on to win the Europa League, Atleti bowed out of Europe altogether having finished bottom of group B.

Atlético opened last season's Champions League campaign with a 2-1 home win against Porto – all three goals coming in added time, a competition first – but failed to win a game after that (D2 L3).

That was the first time Atlético had finished bottom of their Champions League group.

In contrast, Atleti were unbeaten in this season's group stage, drawing 1-1 at Lazio and 2-2 at Celtic and beating Feyenoord (3-2) and Celtic in Madrid – the 6-0 result against the Scottish champions on Matchday 4 their biggest Champions League victory – before a 3-1 away win in Rotterdam that secured progress. They sealed first place in group E by defeating Lazio 2-0 in Madrid on Matchday 6.

That unbeaten run was ended by a 1-0 loss at Inter in the round of 16 first leg but Atlético turned round the tie with a 2-1 win at home and held their nerve in the shoot-out, going through 3-2 on penalties.

Atlético have won five of their last 14 away matches in the Champions League, losing seven of the other nine including four in a row before drawing at Lazio on Matchday 1.

Simeone's side have lost nine of their last 14 away Champions League knockout games (W3 D2).

The Colchoneros were third in LaLiga for the second successive season in 2022-23, finishing 11 points behind champions Barcelona and one behind Real Madrid.

Atlético have won 31 of the 39 Uefa competition ties in which they have prevailed in the home first leg including 20 of the last 21, most recently against Liverpool in the 2019-20 Champions League round of 16 (1-0 h, 3-2 a aet). The sole blemish in that sequence came against Juventus in the 2018-19 round of 16 (2-0 h, 0-3 a).

When the home first leg has finished 2-1, Atlético's aggregate record is W5 L2 with victories in the last four ties, most recently against Hannover in the quarterfinals of their victorious Uefa Europa League campaign in 2011-12 (2-1 a).

Atlético's record in seven Uefa penalty shoot-outs is W3 L4:

6-7 v Derby, 1974-75 Uefa Cup second round

1-3 v Fiorentina, 1989-90 Uefa Cup first round

1-3 v Villarreal, 2004 Uefa Intertoto Cup final

3-2 v Bayer Leverkusen, 2014-15 Uefa Champions League round of 16

8-7 v PSV Eindhoven, 2015-16 Uefa Champions League round of 16

3-5 v Real Madrid, 2015-16 Uefa Champions League final

3-2 v Inter Milan, 2023-24 Uefa Champions League round of 16