In the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarterfinal, Sporting Madrid faced Dortmund in their own stadium. The tactical style of the club's manager Szémonyi has always been known for his toughness and simplicity, especially at home, and his strategy always seems to be a bit weak whenever Dortmund visits the La Liga giants. The game was a disappointing one, with Marauders trailing at half-time.
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Madsen knows that the competition in the league is no longer as smooth as it used to be this season, and he is eager to win Europa League honors on his doorstep. To do so, he must be fully focused on that goal. Coach Szmonyi's team in the Valley is highly motivated and he has full confidence in them. In the Europa League this season, the club has won all four of its home matches, including a 2-1 reversal against Inter Milan in the knockout stage, where they managed to recover from a 0-1 first-leg deficit and advance on penalties, underscoring the team's resilience.
In fact, Dormont is already in the top eight. Despite narrowly escaping from the Group of Death in the group stage, AC Milan and Newcastle also suffered injury problems, which provided Dormont with an opportunity.The Round of 16 draw saw Dormont once again face weaker opponents in Yanhofen, and this last eight clash will be a real test for the club. In the past five times they challenged La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, Dortmund only achieved 1 win and 4 losses, including an embarrassing record of 0-2 against the Macao Racing in the group stage of the 2018 Europa League. Obviously, Dormont is still deficient in conquering European competitions, and will find it difficult to hold their own against the onslaught of Marco Polo.
