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Nuri Sahin pinpoints major Celtic threat as Dortmund boss refuses to brand Brendan Rodgers' Bhoys underdogs

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Nuri Sahin has issued a stark warning to his Borussia Dortmund team about the threat posed by Celtic's diminutive forward Kyogo.

The revered Yellow Wall icon is gearing up for his first home game at the helm in the Champions League against the Scottish giants. Sahin has made it clear that he will not be underestimating the Hoops, singling out the formidable Kyogo as a key player. The manager, who earned his stripes during two stints as a player with Dortmund, remarked: "Every team has its strengths and weaknesses, and key players, so it would be very easy to name some.

"But if you really want a name one, I am a big fan of the striker. Kyogo Furuhashi, I hope I have said the name right, is not a typical striker. We are used to playing against big strikers, but he is very smart, and I really like the player, how he moves off the ball, the timing of his runs, and I see a tactical, very smart guy there.

"I see a very talented group together. So we are ready, the team will be ready after today, when we have our meetings and the training session, and then we will see tomorrow."

While Sahin confessed his unfamiliarity with Celtic's £11m Bundesliga signing Arne Engels from the player's time in Germany, he now holds a high opinion of the 21 year old Belgian international, reports the Daily Record. Despite Celtic's less than stellar away record in the Champions League, Sahin has insisted that his squad will approach the match with full seriousness.

Speaking ahead of the match, he commented: "I don't know Engels very well, to be honest. Of course I know he played in the Bundesliga and he is a good player, but I didn't follow his full path of his career, so it would be easy or not good to tell anything about him. I just see in the matches we analysed, I see a very good player."

He also added, "It's a prestigious club with amazing talent in the squad, with a fantastic coach. It will be a challenge for us tomorrow, but at the same time a big challenge, a huge challenge, which they didn't have this season with us, playing in our stadium. So, really looking forward to it. To call them the underdogs would be not fair to Celtic, to be honest."