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Champions League quarterfinal preview: Borussia Dortmund vs. Monaco

By Adam Stocker

DORTMUND, GERMANY - MARCH 04: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund celebrates after scoring the goal to the 3:1 together with his team mates during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Signal Iduna Park on March 04, 2017 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund/Getty Images)
DORTMUND, GERMANY - MARCH 04: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund celebrates after scoring the goal to the 3:1 together with his team mates during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Signal Iduna Park on March 04, 2017 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund/Getty Images) /
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Borussia Dortmund will meet Monaco in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, starting April 11 in Dortmund. Here’s what to expect in the tie.

At the start of the season, many people predicted Borussia Dortmund would advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Very few people predicted the same of Monaco.

Whatever the preseason expectations, these are now two of the most exciting young teams in Europe, and they should provide plenty of entertainment over the two legs.

How did they get here?

After a thrilling and high-scoring two legs against Manchester City in the round of 16, Monaco advanced on away goals. The Ligue 1 side dropped the first leg in Manchester 5-3 but returned to the southern coast of France to beat City 3-1 in the second leg.

Dortmund were extremely disappointing in the first leg of their round of 16 tie against Benfica. Bundesliga leading scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a particularly disappointing game, missing a penalty and two other good scoring opportunities. In the second leg, Aubameyang rebounded with three goals to push Thomas Tuchel’s side into the quarterfinals.

Monaco will attempt to make it to the Champions League semifinals for the first time since losing the final to Porto in 2004. Leonardo Jardim’s team currently lead Paris Saint-Germain in the Ligue 1 table with 71 points in 30 games. Monaco have scored 87 goals this season, conceding 26.

Teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe has had a breakout season for Monaco. The 18-year-old has scored 19 times in 33 games across all competitions. Colombian striker and team captain Rademel Falcao has had a bounce-back season after a difficult couple of years in the Premier League with Manchester United and Chelsea. Falcao has 24 goals in 30 games in all competitions this season but may miss the first leg with a hamstring injury.

Borussia Dortmund haven’t reached the semifinals of Champions League since 2014, when they were defeated by Bundesliga rival Bayern Munich. This season, Dortmund have spent most of the season in the top four of the Bundesliga table.

Injuries have hit Dortmund hard, however. Marco Reus missed the start of the season, before returning and getting injured again. There’s a chance Reus, midfielder Sebastian Rode, Andre Schurrle and right-back Erik Durm return in time for the first leg against Monaco. The same can’t be said for off-season signing Mario Gotze, who was diagnosed with a metabolic disorder that will keep him out the rest of the season.

The injuries have given opportunities for youngsters Ousmane Dembele and Christian Pulisic. Dortmund signed the play-making 19-year-old French winger Dembele during the summer and he’s impressed with six goals and nine assists in 18 league starts. Pulisic debuted for the club at the end of the last season. The American international continues to perform and scored in the second leg against Benfica in the round of 16.

How will they play?

Monaco often play a 4-4-2 with Mbappe and Falcao up front. If Falcao can’t start, Valere Germain will likely replace him. Bernardo Silva, Fabinho and Thomas Lemar will provide service to the strikers from midfield. Silva has scored six goals and added seven assists this season, while Lemar has scored seven goals and added six assists.

Midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko will miss the first leg with a yellow card suspension. Portuguese midfielder Joao Moutinho will likely take the spot of Bakayoko in the starting XI and sit in front of the back four. Benjamin Mendy, Kamil Glik, Jemerson and Djibril Sidibe have been Jardim’s first choice back four for most of the season.

Tuchel has used a 4-3-2-1 formation and a 3-4-2-1 formation this season. Generally, he uses similar personnel for both formations. Captain Marcel Schmelzer can play in the midfield and his traditional left-back position. Sokratis and Lukasz Piszczek will likely start in the back line for Dortmund. Tuchel will have to make a decision to start either Matthias Ginter or Marc Bartra at center-back. Julian Weigl and Gonzalo Castro will be positioned over the top of the center-backs.

Dortmund will look to create openings for their front three of Aubameyang, Dembele and Pulisic. The German side will likely try testing the Monaco back four with Aubameyang’s speed in an attempt to open the game. Dortmund will likely win the possession battle over both legs because of their superior talent in the midfield. Tuchel’s side is difficult to slow down because of their depth up front. If Reus and Schurrle are available, they’ll be on the bench along with Shinji Kagawa, giving Tuchel lots of options.

Next: Champions League QF preview: Juventus vs. Barcelona

Prediction

If you want to see a lot of goals, this is the tie for you. The teams should combine for the most goals in any of the quarterfinals. Unfortunately for Monaco fans, the majority of goals will be scored by Dortmund. Tuchel’s side have the edge back to front and, in Aubameyang, possess the most lethal attacking player in what is sure to be an open tie.

Borussia Dortmund 5-3 Monaco

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