Terzic wants Dortmund focus ahead of UCL final
Borussia Dortmund will not go easy on Mainz in the Bundesliga as it looks to maintain its rhythm ahead of the UEFA Champions League final, coach Edin Terzic said.
Dortmund is fifth in the Bundesliga with two games remaining, with the performances of German clubs in Europe ensuring that will be enough for UEFA Champions League participation next season.
It is also building towards a third appearance in the final of Europe's premier club competition, having overcome Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on aggregate in the last four.
While all eyes will soon turn to the trip to Wembley Stadium to face Real Madrid on 2 June (AEST), Terzic is determined that his side maintains its intensity, even if he rotates his squad.
"Through this rotation we not only keep the team physically and emotionally fresh but we also give chances to other players," Terzic said.
"Our season just got a bit longer and we want to keep the rhythm up. It is about what we have built up in the past weeks and us wanting to still achieve something big, and that cannot happen with us shifting down a gear.
"We want to make these weeks the best weeks of the season."
Mainz denied Dortmund the Bundesliga title last season, snatching a 2-2 draw on the final day as Bayern Munich swooped in to retain its crown.
It is now battling against relegation, but Terzic is not thinking of the Mainz game as a chance for payback.
"They did spoil our summer last year, but they did it fair and square. They had a say last season and did it well," he said. "Now we have the chance to have an influence."
Mainz is in 16th place, currently occupying the relegation play-off spot, five points ahead of 17th-placed FC Cologne.
More importantly for Terzic, the game marks the start of a three-week build-up towards the UEFA Champions League final.
"We celebrated our qualification for the final on the night and now we have to deal with the situation pragmatically," he said.
"Now a new preparation starts for the [UEFA] Champions League final with these remaining two Bundesliga matches."