Sven Bender wants Borussia Dortmund Champions League run for fans

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Sven Bender has targeted an improvement in this season's Champions League to 'meet the wishes' of the fans.

Dortmund won the Bundesliga for the second year running last season but ended bottom of Group F in the Champions League, behind Arsenal, Marseille and Olympiakos. The 23-year-old says that he wants the club to go far in Europe's elite club tournament.

"In the Champions League, we have a few wishes of the fans to meet," Bender told Der Westen. "We want to play better that we did last year. We have the foundations laid for a very good season. And those conditions are optimal.

"However, one cannot say that we will inevitably be champions again. What we can do is lay the stepping stone, then try to achieve the maximum."

Bender signed for Dortmund from 1860 Munich in 2009.