Grosskreutz: Shakhtar won't be pleased that they've drawn Dortmund

20 Dec 2012 18:00:00

The Germany midfielder says his side will face tough opponents in the Ukrainian giants, but is confident his team can reach the quarter-finals if they play at their best

Borussia Dortmund star Kevin Grosskreutz says his team have a challenging tie ahead of them against Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 16 of the Champions League, but that their opponents will not be overjoyed with facing the Bundesliga champions.

The winger will be hoping for a repeat of the last encounter between the two sides, when Dortmund beat the Ukrainian giants 3-1 at home, to wrap up a 5-1 aggregate win in the 2001 Champions League third qualifying round.

And Grosskreutz knows in this encounter they will have to be aware of the threat Mircea Lucescu's men possess, but is confident that if they can rekindle the form they showed against Ajax and Manchester City, then they will be tough to beat.

"We have to stay alert because they will not be easy opponents," the 24-year-old was quoted as saying on Uefa's official website.

"They are very good defensively, but also have good forwards. The weather will certainly not help us, but if we reproduce the form we showed in our last two Champions League games, we can progress.

"Donetsk won't exactly be celebrating the fact that they have been drawn against us."

Meanwhile, Dortmund managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke was similarly cautious in his assessment of his side's chances of progression to the quarter-finals.

"We haven't exactly got our ideal opponents," said the 53-year-old. "It's a tough task, but we showed during the group stage that we can do well against strong sides.

"Perhaps we also enjoy a small advantage in that the league resumes in Ukraine a little later than the Bundesliga."