Malaga looks to continue making history when it takes on Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Champions league quarterfinals.
The Spanish side has had a lackluster performance in the domestic league but has turned a number of heads with its performances in Europe. The team destroyed Zenit St. Petersburg in its first match of the tournament by the score of 3-0 and followed it up with an equally compelling 3-0 win against Belgian side Anderlecht. A 1-0 victory over Milan essentially secured the top spot in the Group but the Spaniards ended group play with three straight draws. The team looked primed for a letdown in the round of 16 when it drew top Portuguese side Porto and a 1-0 loss in the first leg seemed to confirm that suspicion. However, Malaga bounced back with a tremendous 2-0 win in the second leg and now looked poised to continue their run against a tough German side.
"We will have to show a lot of responsibility [during a week] that will define what we are about as a team and what we are capable of doing," Malaga's Javier Saviola stated in an interview with UEFA.com.
The team will have to get through a Borussia Dortmund side that has proven its worth through the first two rounds. Borussia topped Ajax Amsterdam in its Champions league opener before drawing with Manchester City. However, the team pulled off an astonished 2-1 win over Real Madrid and then settled for a 1-1 draw that essentially booked the squad passage to the knockout stages. Ensuing wins over Ajax and Manchester secured the top of the group for the German side. In the knockout rounds Borussia faced off with Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk and drew 2-2 in the opener. However, the Germans exploded for a 3-0 win in the follow-up that reasserted their favorite status.
Predictions: Malaga pulls a 1-0 upset win.
Start Time: 2:45 PM EST
TV Info: MSG Plus
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
