BVB welcomed Hans Tilkowski, Reinhold Wosab, Franz Brungs, Lothar Geisler, Wolfgang Paul, Wilhelm Burgsmüller and Theo Redder – seven of the Black and Yellow legends that had beaten Benfica 54 years earlier – onto the pitch before kick-off. Perhaps it was their presence, perhaps it was the wonderful choreography in the South Stand. Whatever it was, Borussia were in inspired form on Wednesday as they produced another memorable European performance to book their place in the quarter-finals.

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BVB legends Hans Tilkowski, Reinhold Wosab, Franz Brungs, Lothar Geisler, Wolfgang Paul, Wilhelm Burgsmüller and Theo Redder (from left to right) pose for a picture with Team Manager Fritz Lünschermann (far left).

A glance at the other three names already in the last eight suggests BVB's next memorable European evening might be just around the corner. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have already joined the North Rhine-Westphalians in booking their places in the next round, meaning that the first four quarter-finalists are the same quartet that made the semi-finals in 2013, when Borussia Dortmund reached the all-German showpiece at Wembley. They will likely be joined by other illustrious clubs such as Manchester City, Atlético Madrid and Juventus – to name only three – once the remaining last-16 second legs have been played next week. But BVB have proven in recent years that they can compete with Europe's major players: they are now in the UEFA Champions League quarter finals for the sixth time ever and the third time in the last five seasons.

"Will only achieve our objectives with Auba in top form"

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"I don't have a preferred opponent," said Thomas Tuchel in his post-match press conference in reference to the draw for the next round, though the 43-year-old admitted he would prefer to avoid an all-German tie. "But not because we'd be scared, but because we want to compete internationally, travel and get to know stadia across Europe," he explained. The coach felt his team's performance in the first period against Benfica was rather average despite the early lead. "After going 1-0 up we looked for solutions too early, played the ball out wide too early, didn't find the no. 10 positions and lost challenges. It was a mixture of everything; not too bad but we didn't have our rhythm," he said.

After the interval his charges upped the tempo, were more compact and kept their visitors at bay by repeatedly winning the ball back. So it came as no surprise when they put to bed any lingering doubts about which side would be heading into the last eight on the hour mark, with goals from Christian Pulisic (59) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (61) in the space of two minutes sealing the deal. The coach singled the duo out for special praise after the match. "The good thing about him is he's open to criticism," he said of Pulisic, who struggled to get into the game in the first period but improved immeasurably after the break. "He and the team both put in an extraordinary second-half performance," praised Tuchel, who reiterated his belief that the club "will only achieve its objectives with Auba in top form."

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The South Stand put on a spectacular choreography as the two teams made their way onto the pitch,

BVB get into their groove at the right time

The fact the Gabon international hit a hat-trick lends credence to the coach's statement. As is his wont when he scores three in a game, the forward collected the match ball after the final whistle. "It's for my kids," he said with a grin, before praising the fantastic atmosphere at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK: "The atmosphere in our stadium is astonishing; today, again, what the fans did was crazy." Then, in reference to his below-par first-leg display, which had made him "very sad", he added: "I wanted to show my team-mates today that I'm capable of much more." He certainly did just that. With seven goals in seven games the 27-year-old is now third in the Champions League goalscoring charts, behind Lionel Messi (11 in seven) and Edinson Cavani (eight in eight) but just ahead of Robert Lewandowski, who has also netted seven in Europe but has played one more game than Auba.

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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shows what he can do with a hat-trick against Benfica.

Borussia Dortmund have now racked up four clear victories in their last four matches, scoring 16 and conceding just two in the process. The team finally seem to have found their groove and are brimming with confidence. "We're operating very well and we know we''ll create chances to score," said Julian Weigl after the final whistle. It certainly appears that with the business end of the season fast approaching, BVB are hitting top form at just the right time.

Six-pointer against Hertha

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Borussia Dortmund's next outing will be a Bundesliga trip to the capital to face Hertha – no small task considering how consistently Pal Dardai's charges have played this season. There's no doubt that the Berliners are a direct rival for the Champions League spots, so it looks set to be a real six-pointer when the sides meet at the weekend. A BVB win victory would extend their lead over the capital club to nine points, while a loss would see that gap cut to three points. It will be a tough task to maintain a high level of concentration – especially after such a spectacular evening against Benfica.

But Thomas Tuchel and his team will be well aware of that. The fixtures will continue thick and fast after the Hertha match, with a DFB Cup tie against Sportfreunde Lotte and league clashes with Ingolstadt, Schalke, Hamburg and Bayern on the cards. Six tricky opponents in four pivotal weeks  of the season. Four days after that meeting with Bayern is when the Champions League quarter-final first-leg will be played (their opponents will be revealed in the draw next Friday). Lucky, then, that Borussia Dortmund seem to be hitting form at just the right time...

Dennis-Julian Gottschlich