Enjoy the Noise of Dortmund's “Yellow Wall”.

Dortmund will pound Atletico's defense with the help of the "Yellow Wall" terror. Simeone's defensive art was tested again.

AP/MARTIN MEISSNER

Borussia Dortmund player Felix Nmecha (right) is competing for the ball with PSV Eindhoven player Olivier Boscagli in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 at Signal Iduna Park Stadium, Germany, on Thursday (14/3/2024) in the early morning hours WIB.

DORTMUND, MONDAY — For the Borussia Dortmund squad, the 1-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first match of the quarter-finals felt like a positive result. Even though they are behind, they are very confident that they can turn things around because they will play at home at the Signal Iduna Park Stadium, which is known to be haunted by visiting teams.

The night was very long waiting for Atletico in the second match at Dortmund's base, early Wednesday (17/4/2024) morning Western Indonesian Time. As is known, Dortmund has a stadium with the highest spectator capacity in Germany, with around 81,000 seats. The tribunes were filled with fanatical supporters who were unfriendly to the visiting team.

Especially in the southern stands dubbed "Yellow Wall". The area with a capacity of 25,000 seats is always the most lively. With the cheapest tickets compared to other areas, the stands are filled with low-income spectators. They are very expressive in pouring out their emotions through singing and shouting throughout the match.

From the 40-meter "Yellow Wall," the visiting team can feel like they're in hell. On the other hand, the Dortmund squad is enjoying heaven's air. "It's like being born again when you come out of the tunnel. You can feel the whole stadium explode, as if there are 150,000 crazy people," said Juergen Klopp when he was still coaching Dortmund.

Also read: Atletico and Dortmund's “Dark Horse” Path

AFP/INA FASSBENDER

Borussia Dortmund player, Niclas Fuellkrug (third from the right), competes for the ball with PSV Eindhoven players, Jerdy Schouten (second from the right) and Jordan Teze (third from the left), in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 at Signal Iduna Park Stadium, Germany, on Thursday (14/3/2024) early morning WIB.

That confidence was brought by coach Edin Terzic's team in the second match. “Our chances are not bad. "It's not easy, but we believe we can do it," said veteran Dortmund midfielder, Emre Can.

Atletico can only lament their failure to win big at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. Atletico midfielder who previously played for Dortmund, Axel Witsel, reminded them that they must make the most of their home game. The game at Dortmund's home turf will be much more difficult.

However, Atletico, who had a two-goal lead, actually conceded at the end of the match. Atletico's coach, Diego Simeone, has experienced the cruel atmosphere of the Signal Iduna Park Stadium in October 2018. At that time, Simeone and his team went home with a crushing defeat of four goals without reply.

Dortmund has not been as strong at home this season compared to previous seasons. Nevertheless, they have remained undefeated in their four home matches (2 wins, 2 draws) in the Champions League. Most recently, they defeated PSV Eindhoven 2-0 to advance to the quarter-finals.

Also read: Anomalous Faces of Inter and Atletico

We know what we will face there. We will play in a difficult stadium.

AP PHOTO/BERNAT ARMANGUE

Atletico Madrid player, Memphis Depay (center), attempts to control the ball with his chest while being sandwiched by two Barcelona players, Ronald Araujo (right) and Pau Cubarsi.

"We know what we will face there. We will play in a difficult stadium, where they will become stronger. We also have to be prepared to suffer. In addition, they also have good quality players, especially on the wings. For us, the key is to make the most of the space," said Simeone.

Atletico won the first match because they were more efficient. Two of their goals came from individual errors by Dortmund defenders. Antoine Griezmann and his colleagues only recorded 33.4 percent possession of the ball, but they were still able to control the game with a very neat defensive organization.

A similar situation may occur again in the second match. Atletico will be very careful in maintaining their lead. The away team will once again rely on Simeone's defensive artistry as always seen in the Champions League. They are targeting lightning-fast counterattacks led by quick players like Griezmann.

Dortmund's opportunity is very big if you look at the last 15 minutes at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. After striker Sebastian Haller's reply, they continued to surround Atletico's defense. Dortmund came close to equalizing twice when Julian Brandt and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens hit the crossbar.

Also read: Defeat PSV, Dortmund Qualifies for Champions League Quarter-Finals

AFP/JAVIER SORIANO

Atletico Madrid player, Antoine Griezmann, fought for the ball with Inter Milan goalkeeper, Yann Sommer, during the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain, on Thursday (14/3/2024) early morning WIB.

If they can consistently repeat the momentum at the end of that match at home, Dortmund will triumph. Interestingly, Terzic has many players who can contribute from the bench. Meanwhile, Haller, Brandt, and Bynoe-Gittens all started the match as substitutes and came on after halftime.

Terzic stated that the upcoming match is not as easy as imagined. Many of their young players are making their debut in the quarterfinals, such as Felix Nmecha (23) and Ian Maatsen (22). Maatsen's mistake in the first match allowed Atletico to take an early lead at the 4th minute.

"The opportunity is still open. However, we have to start the match differently. We can no longer give gifts to our opponents, like the two goals yesterday. If it happens again, everything will end. We have to bring many positive things in the second half. At that time, we showed our true quality," said Terzic.

However, when they need a goal, Dortmund is guaranteed to not lose Haller due to an ankle injury. This will reduce their options in the attack line. Standing at 1.9 meters tall, Haller is actually needed to break through the "parking bus" defense of Atletico. (AP/REUTERS)