Borussia Dortmund enter their Champions League quarter-final tie with Atletico Madrid in a confident mood after a strong run so far in the elite event.
"We are ready to put on our best face - like we have done so often in this Champions League season," coach Edin Terzic told reporters ahead of the first leg match on Wednesday in Spain.
The 1997 winners Dortmund won a tough group ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle United before eliminating Dutch league leaders PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16.
The good Champions League results are in contrast to an up and down campaign in the Bundesliga where they won at Bayern Munich 10 days ago but then lost at home against VfB Stuttgart on the weekend, endangering their top four finish bid.
Three-time finalists Atletico led by long-time coach Diego Simeone will be an even tougher opponent but Terzic would not be deterred.
"Atletico are a role model for many teams in Europe but we are looking forward to testing that," he said.
"The way that makes Atletico Madrid so successful is well known. They have implemented a new art of defending. It's not easy for any team in the world here."
In this respect it is bad news that in-form forward Donyell Malen, Dortmund joint top scorer with Niclas Füllkrug on 13 goals apiece, remains sidelined with muscular problem.
But Terzic is confident that Karim Adeyemi will deputise well like against Bayern and Stuttgart.
"We're glad that Karim is free of complaints. He's getting better and better, against Stuttgart it was perhaps his best personal performance of the season. He brings a lot to the table - if he keeps using that, he's very important," Terzic said.
The coach was upbeat that captain Emre Can can play despite feeling a little ill, and sporting director Sebastian Kehl said that "we are looking forward to this task" against Atletico in which Dortmund host the return leg next week Tuesday.
Dortmund are eyeing a first semi-final berth since 2013 when they went on to reach the all-German final at Wembley, losing against Bayern at the famous venue which will also host this season's final on June 1.
Terzic said that advancing far in the competition could help keeping top players beyond the season, after the likes of Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham left in previous years.
"Some guys have left us in recent years to find their fortune in the top flight elsewhere. We now want to show that you can also reach the semi-finals of the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund," Terzic said.
