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BERLIN, Feb 16-- Ahead of the crucial round-of-16 duel of the Champions League against Paris St. Germain, optimism is back for Borussia Dortmund. When crossing swords with the Blacks and Yellow's former coach, Thomas Tuchel's hopes are pinned on the side's new guardian of stability, Emre Can. Since the 26-year-old German international joined the struggling side from Juventus, a significant upswing is notable. It seems more than a bold guess that Borussia is going to use its buying option for the on-loan-performer. An additional 25 million euros are required to secure the deal after having paid one million for the current season. Ahead of his fourth appearance in Dortmund's shirt, it is obvious that Can helped the 2017 German champions find the way back to a proper balance of defense and offense. Securing the team's defensive midfield, Can is alternatingly taking over the job with former Chinese Super League performer Axel Witsel. With Can, the country's best-attacking side (63 league goals after 22 rounds of matches) seems to have learned an important message. 63 goals stand for the record mark in German football after 22 matchdays. Only Bayern Munich (1974) and the Hamburger SV (1982) have reached this figure. "Considering our quality upfront, we don't need to take too much risk to win games," 2017 world champion Mats Hummels commented. The new stability is providing confidence the 31-year-old emphasized while team leader Marco Reus added: "The latest victory is an achievement not only from the back-row but the entire team." | 
