Schlotterbeck: Dortmund targeting two more wins for top-eight Champions League spot
Borussia Dortmund have taken 10 points from five Champions League matches, and they feel two more victories will secure a top-eight place.
Nico Schlotterbeck says Borussia Dortmund are targeting two more victories to seal automatic qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League, after their 4-0 win over Villarreal.
Dortmund sit fourth in the 36-team standings ahead of Wednesday's matches, having taken 10 points from their first five games.
Tuesday's result was their most impressive yet in this edition of the competition, as Niko Kovac's team took advantage of Juan Foyth's red card to romp to victory.
Serhou Guirassy netted twice – with his second goal coming on the rebound from his own saved penalty – while Karim Adeyemi and Daniel Svensson struck to round off the scoring.
Last season, 16 points were enough to secure a top-eight finish in the competition's league stage, with Bayer Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa all making the cut with that tally.
Dortmund's final three games are at home to Bodo/Glimt, away to Tottenham and at home to Inter, and Schlotterbeck believes two victories at Signal Iduna Park will do the job.
"It's not easy, because I think you need 16 to 17 points," Nico Schlotterbeck told Amazon Prime Video after Tuesday's game.
"There are now three games left, two of them at home. I think if you win both at home, you're through.
"We have now also scored four goals. I think having such a goal difference can also do us good in the end.
"And for the first time, we have now kept a clean sheet. We had already conceded a lot of goals in the Champions League, so this is an all-round successful day."
Dortmund were limited to just four shots and 0.87 expected goals (xG) in the first half, but helped by Foyth's dismissal, they amassed nine shots and 3.16 xG in the second half.
Schlotterbeck hailed their improvement after the interval and praised Guirrassy – who has more Champions League goal involvements than any other player since the start of last season (22, 16 goals, six assists) – for staying patient.
"We came out of half-time better, which was important. In general, we hardly allowed anything and in the second half we were really good," Schlotterbeck said.
"Serhou didn't have an easy time either. He gets the trust from us and that's where you have to be as a striker."
Dortmund now face Bayer Leverkusen in back-to-back games, away in the Bundesliga on Saturday and at home in the DFB Pokal's last 16 next Tuesday.
