Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic was full of praise for Milan’s defensive resilience and the ‘emotional’ atmosphere at San Siro during his pre-match press conference on Monday evening.
Die Borussen will travel to Milan to face Stefano Pioli’s side on Tuesday in the penultimate fixture of the 2023-24 Champions League group stage.
Terzic and his team currently lead Group F with seven points from the opening four matches, although Milan, currently in third with five points, could leapfrog them with a win on home soil.
Assessing his opponents, Terzic said, reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Against Gladbach (in the Bundesliga), we were 2-0 down after 28 minutes, but showed great intensity and this is part of our spirit. We will have to do it again tomorrow.”
He continued: “But there is one difference, Milan will not allow mistakes to be made. Maximum focus is required.
“I watched the last game against PSG and was struck by Milan’s defensive discipline. PSG weren’t able to create anything.”
Milan boss Pioli said during his presser on Monday that Dortmund will be used to playing in a big stadium with an intense atmosphere, but he insisted that San Siro is also one of the tougher grounds for opposing teams.
On what he expects from the Milan crowd, Terzic said: “I was lucky enough to play here against Inter in 2019. I know the emotional impact at Sna Siro, it’s a beautiful and historic stadium.
“We are lucky to be able to play here, but we are also used to stages like this. We know that we have to be alert from the first whistle.”
Kick off between Milan and Dortmund is scheduled for 20.00 GMT on Tuesday evening.