Klopp hails super Sahin

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp was quick to single out former Liverpool outcast Nuri Sahin on Saturday.

Sahin, who returned to Dortmund on loan from Real Madrid in January, scored a wonder goal and laid on an assist in the second half to help seal a 2-1 victory at Fortuna Dusseldorf.

The 45-year-old said: “I am very satisfied with the win. From the 10th minute we played a good game with Nuri scoring a world-class goal, though in the second we allowed the opponent too much and they came out and did well.

“But from my point of view it was not serious as it is normal that we can lose a little bit of the concentration. We are certainly not undeserved winners, just that due to their late goal it was a little lucky.”

Klopp decided to make wholesale changes to the side that destroyed Real Madrid 4-1 in the midweek Champions League semi-final first leg with four-goal hero Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze on the bench.

He added: “We must not exaggerate. We talked about the record of Lewandowski (scoring in 12 consecutive matches) before. I told him that he can feel safe about his record because in the next 100 years no one will beat it.

“Gotze had some muscular problems. (Ilkay) Gundogan had problems with his neck, while (Lukasz) Piszczek with his adductors. All three of them were not able to play today.”