Manuel Pellegrini has reflected on Malaga’s achievement in reaching the Champions League quarter-finals against Borussia Dortmund this week.
Ahead of Wednesday’s first leg clash with the Germans, Pellegrini spoke to the assembled media about the Anchovies’ progress in the competition.
In their debut campaign, the Costa del Sol outfit have topped their group ahead of Milan and Zenit St Petersburg and eliminated Porto in the Last 16, all against the back-drop of financial instability caused by their owner Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani.
“I think that the President of the club has to be satisfied with what we are doing here this season,” Pellegrini mused today.
“Whether or not he will be here tomorrow I don't know. Of course there is a lot of satisfaction and happiness for what we have been doing in the Liga and the Champions League this season.
“Nobody gave us a chance at the start and yet the players have responded so well. We eliminated Porto and that represented a huge achievement for the side.
“The merits this season have been won out on the pitch.
“Both teams like to have the ball and are very powerful. I am delighted to be playing Dortmund as creative as they are. The fans will see a great game.
“We will try to minimise their strengths while trying to play to ours. You never know what the result in football will be, we can't know exactly what will happen.
“What I do know is that it is so important to get a good result to take into the away leg.
“Dortmund have a great team, they have five players who start for the German national side. They have huge potential, are very creative in midfield but I think their main strength is in attack.”
