Klopp: We are not favorites

Dortmund manhandles Real, 4-1, but there is still one leg left to play

A rampant Borussia Dortmund is by no means the favorite to reach the Champions League final despite its crushing 4-1 win against nine-time winner Real Madrid, coach Juergen Klopp said on Wednesday.

Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski became the first player to score four goals in a Champions League semifinal as the Germans produced a stunning display of attacking football in the home first leg.

Klopp played down his team's performance, saying pre-tie underdog Dortmund had done nothing more than win the first of two games. The return is at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.

"The problem is that we have played only two quarters. We still have to play the other two quarters," Klopp, whose team is undefeated in the competition this season, told reporters.

"I was happy for our very good game, but I do not think we are favorites. If we lose 3-0, then we are out. To squander such a good result would be silly, but nothing has been decided.

"We feel just like deserved semifinalists. Nothing is decided and we have not too much experience at this stage."

Dortmund only reached the last four after a late two-goal burst in the quarterfinal second leg against Malaga.

Klopp said Dortmund, despite losing at least one key player per season recently, has managed to remain a tightly knit team that enjoys playing together.

Mario Goetze, who created the first goal, is the next to leave after agreeing to join rival Bayern Munich in July in a deal that angered Dortmund fans when it was announced on Tuesday.

"If you play football you know how to handle this situation," he said, adding that fears of possible jeers and whistles from fans toward the Germany midfielder had proved unfounded.

"You cannot be successful and nobody will recognize it. It's normal to see players go. Each year we lost one brilliant player. We got better and better and better. It's no problem in the team.

"It is not easy, but it's the mentality of the team to enjoy each day we are together and we will see what will be there at the end of the season."

Charismatic Klopp refused to analyze how he had stifled Real, preferring to talk about his exploits as a second division striker 25 years ago.

"I will not talk about tactics today as we need to play them again. I can say we scored great goals but that's it. I don't want to talk details because if we had a good idea that worked for us tonight I would like to keep it for me," he said.

Klopp was full of praise for striker Lewandowski before delivering a trademark joke.

"I scored four goals once in 1990 against Erfurt," the German coach said. "It is very high up there in my personal story and I will not forget it either."

(China Daily 04/26/2013 page23)