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Leonardo Jardim: Monaco must stay true to their game in second leg

Monaco will play "just as we have since the start of the season" as they seek to reach the Champions League semifinals at the expense of Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, coach Leonardo Jardim has said.

The French league leaders will take on Dortmund at the Stade Louis II defending the 3-2 lead they secured in last week's first leg.

Jardim's men have averaged nearly three goals a game in Ligue 1 this season, and the Portuguese tactician vowed his squad will start on the front foot when the pair kick off in the principality.

"Our attitude has not changed, despite the first leg. Nothing has been decided, we have to play our game. We're going to play just as we have since the start of the season," said Jardim, whose men started their Champions League journey in the third qualifying round.

"We're working to maintain our standards. We're the team that has played the most in Europe. I think the players are ready. They recover well. It's normal we're more tired than those who play less."

While Monaco's problems are physical, their opponents' is more likely to be mental after the incidents of last week that left Dortmund defender Marc Bartra requiring surgery on a broken wrist.

Dortmund bounced back with a league win over Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend, and Jardim admitted he expected Thomas Tuchel's men to be at full throttle for the second leg.

"We can expect a lot stronger Dortmund than in the first leg. They will have gotten over the events of last week, and they'll have Castro and Reus back, two very important players," the Monaco boss explained.

"I think Dortmund, after a week, will be stronger psychologically. The team is very solid. I hope that with the Monaco fans, the German fans are going to enjoy the match after what happened over there."

After starting Saturday's league game with Dijon on the bench, Radamel Falcao emerged to score the winning goal with his first direct free kick since his days at Atletico Madrid.

The Colombia international will be restored to the starting line-up for the second leg, the latest happy chapter in Falcao's renaissance this term after successive disappointments on loan at Manchester United and Chelsea in the last two seasons.

"At the start of the season, few people would have imagined Monaco's run, and mine too. It's up to us, to give everything, as we do in every match," said the striker, who has four goals in five Champions League games this season, before echoing his coach's sentiments.

"It would be a mistake to think we've already qualified. It's a final. We have to respect the principles of our play and I hope we'll be really happy tomorrow."