Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp labelled his players
'wolves' after they fought to qualify for the UEFA Champions League
quarter-finals.
Zenit St Petersburg defeated Dortmund 2-1 in Germany on
Wednesday but the home side held on for a 5-4 aggregative triumph in the round
of 16.
While Klopp was disappointed by the way his team defended
their nervousness in the first half, the 46-year-old was thrilled to have
reached the Champions League's last eight for the second year in a row.
"My lads deserve to be in the quarter-finals because
they always fight like wolves," Klopp said.
"When you see who else is in the quarter-finals of
the Champions League, then this is the creme de la creme.
"We stand for the second consecutive year in this
round and I'm totally happy."
Zenit took the lead in the 16th minute thanks to Hulk's
long-range strike before Sebastian Kehl's header dragged Dortmund level seven
minutes before half-time.
Salomon Rondon struck the winner for the visitors after
72 minutes, but the Russian Premier League club could not find another goal to
increase the pressure on their hosts.
Klopp hailed Zenit as 'a great team' but was frustrated
how his side failed to utilise their Champions League experience from three
consecutive campaigns to control the match effectively.
"You could sense a bit of tension and a degree of
nervousness," Dortmund's boss said.
"After we scored the equaliser the match wasn't
decided but we were calmer on the ball. We've got the experience of 20 or so
Champions League matches, including a final, but we could have played a lot
calmer in the first half."
Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski warned his team-mates
they will have to improve if they are to advance past the quarter-finals.
"This was not a perfect game by us. I do not know
what it was," he said.
"Of course we are very happy about the
quarter-finals.
"There is now waiting definitely an absolute top
team for us. To beat them, we have to give 110 per cent and play much better
than today."
Culled from Soccerway
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