Following a crushing 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, Borussia Dortmund captain Emre Can did not hold back in expressing his frustration towards his teammates.
Can was clearly disheartened after the match and conveyed to DAZN that the team’s downfall stemmed from attitude issues, rather than tactical flaws or coaching mistakes.
“It’s not about the system; it’s about whether everyone is prepared to give their all and make the necessary sacrifices in matches like this,” Can remarked.
“We let too many things slip during the game; our performance today was subpar. We were too passive. We lacked cohesion. And on top of that, we made basic errors.
“At this level of competition, such mistakes are severely punished. That’s why we found ourselves on the losing end today.
“We were up against a formidable Barcelona side, filled with exceptional talent no doubt, so the only way to triumph over them is to play as a united front, which we unfortunately failed to do,” said Can.
“I believe we could have performed significantly better, even against a team as skilled as them. You need to put in the effort, and to be honest, we didn’t do that.
“Now, it’s crucial that we deliver a strong performance in the second leg and strive for victory. We owe it to our supporters, and we must give it our all.“
Barcelona, aiming for a treble, will enter the return leg in Germany brimming with confidence, while Dortmund find themselves in a precarious position, sitting eighth in the Bundesliga with 41 points—five points adrift from the Champions League qualification spots for the next season.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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