Thomas Tuchel says Borussia Dortmund are stronger after attack on team bus
Wednesday 19 April 2017 20:22, UK
Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel says his side are stronger after last week's attack on the team bus, as the German club look to book a place in the Champions League semi-finals.
The first leg of Dortmund's quarter-final tie with Monaco was postponed after three explosions went off near the team bus as it headed for Signal Iduna Park, leaving defender Marc Bartra needing hospital treatment for a broken bone in his wrist.
The match, played a day later than scheduled, ended in a 3-2 victory for Monaco but Tuchel is confident his men can put last week's events behind them when they travel to Monaco on Wednesday.
On the eve of the return leg, Tuchel said: "We've got this out of our system now and we're more stable emotionally.
"All that happened last week has made us stronger. Now we have to play well and I'm convinced we can do that. We're ready and focused.
"We know it will be very tough, but we have the energy and confidence we need to get a result.
"Our players are confident. We have a good mix between experienced and young players. We know what we need to do. We are here to win by two goals."
Dortmund will be without central defender Bartra, who continues to recover from the injury sustained in the attack.
Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim has told his team to maintain their concentration levels in their quest to nail down a place in the last four.
The Portuguese said: "Our head must be on tomorrow only, nothing else. We are 90 minutes away from qualifying.
"The players are very professional and we will work to maintain the momentum, even if our load is large. But we expect a much stronger Dortmund team."
Striker Radamel Falcao added: "It would be a mistake to believe that we are already qualified. At no time have we believed that."
