Coach Jurgen Klopp refused to accept Borussia Dortmund have little chance in Tuesday's Champions League's quarter-final second leg after their 3-0 first-leg defeat at Real Madrid.
Dortmund face a near-impossible task at their Westfalenstadion in Tuesday's return after Gareth Bale, Isco and Cristiano Ronaldo, who equalled Lionel Messi's record of 14 goals in a Champions League season, scored at the Bernabeu.
Dortmund romped to a 4-1 win at home to Real in last season's semi-finals, first-leg match en route to the final and Klopp brushed off any suggestion his side are effectively out.
"How could anyone transfer money to my account for my job, if I now turn around and say we're out of this?" snapped back Klopp after ZDF presenter Jochen Breyer implied Dortmund have no chance in the return.
Having recently had an on-air spat with ZDF pundit and former German captain Oliver Kahn, Klopp was in no mood for another argument.
"Sorry, but I don't want to go into the ZDF studio and again clash with someone," said the Dortmund boss.
"But for every stupid question, I can only give a stupid answer - as we all know."
Dortmund were without suspended Poland striker Robert Lewandowski in Madrid and even with their top-scorer back for the second leg, Klopp admitted Borussia face a huge task at home.
"Let's say we've been in better situations and we're not really in any kind of position to lay down the gauntlet to them, but we have a duty to give it everything," Klopp said.
"We will do that because there is always a glimmer of hope.
"There are two games in this quarter final - one in Madrid, and the other in Dortmund.
"We can learn from the first leg.
"We weren't cool enough and lacked the belief. We didn't make things uncomfortable enough for them."
Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller said the Germans did not have the right mindset in Madrid.
"We were dozy at the start and made it too easy for Real," said the 33-year-old.
"We didn't go out there with enough confidence."
Defensive midfielder Nuri Sahin said Dortmund must improve for the return.
"We weren't without our own chances, but we have to play smarter," he said.
"We had ten chances on the counter-attack, but didn't score. That's bitter.
"It will be difficult for us, you have to be realistic."
Source: AFP
