After the defeat in the Bundesliga against Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund is showered with an almost shit-stormy torrent of criticism, even from its own club boss. BVB shows a strong reaction against Manchester City in the Champions League – and they are very unlucky.
Jadon Sancho grabbed his anger well. The fact that referee Ovidiu Hategan did not recognize his BVB a goal against Manchester City – not to be accepted. And when it comes to the hearts that the young Englishman collected for his Twitter frustration, the mood in the digital world was like this: clear goal, weak referee. Now the scene of outrage was not quite as clear-cut as the heart barometer.
Jude Bellingham, also a young Englishman from BVB, had stolen the ball from goalkeeper Ederson in the quarter-final first leg. He was slightly faster on the ball than the Brazilian, and there was contact. Tendency (I): no foul. And because Bellingham was through. Trend (II): Goal.
Meanwhile, the referee’s whistle: foul. Without verification. Result (I): no goal. (Late) episode (II): a defeat. This was expressed in numbers as follows: 1: 2. And it’s so much more frustrating than a sober look at the result reveals. Because only in the 90th minute, BVB conceded the decisive goal from the spectacular Phil Foden, after the team had previously defended themselves very impressively against the sky-blue force. After she put the “goalkeeper” away and had just successfully countered Kevin De Bruyne’s opening goal (19th) with Marco Reus (83rd). “If we go home with a 1-1 draw, we’ll be satisfied,” said Mats Hummels at DAZN. “It doesn’t feel good like that, even though we did a lot right today.”
BVB takes away the ease from Manchester City
It was the umpteenth reparation this season. And this time she was in particular need. Because club boss Hans-Joachim Watzke had given the team the role of patron saint after the Bundesliga bankruptcy against Eintracht Frankfurt, which makes qualifying for the Champions League damn difficult. The 61-year-old was too shocked by the lifelessness of the players in this game of salmon or arbor.
What this highly talented team can do when it wants is simply remarkable. Now on display at the Etihad Stadium. This time it wasn’t the powerful magic football or the enchanting football by Sancho (injured) and Erling Haaland that amazed the world. This time the Dortmund team took the fascinating ease from Josep Guardiola’s top ensemble with Ansgar Knauff, who was surprisingly in the starting line-up.
Strong in pressing, extremely aggressive in duels, capable of suffering in running work, uncompromising in dangerous situations. If Borussia would always play like this or something like that, the tenacious shadow of the mentality debate would have long since disappeared. As it is, this team remains unique and peculiar in its talent and actions. And once again BVB failed to make a statement because stupid mistakes were made.
Before the 0: 1, Emre Can, who otherwise excelled in midfield rule and charisma, best Borussia next to Bellingham, made a bad pass with an announcement that could be heard far beyond the sleeve channel. And the late shock from Foden was a hit that could have been defended quite well, as Hummels thought. In fact, substitute Thomas Meunier’s positional play was rather poor. Particularly bitter: Meunier had initiated the Reus goal.
BVB: Erling Haaland is burning for the Champions League
Bad, many people pinned this judgment on the referee that evening. And not just because of the Dortmund “Torklaus”. He had previously given the hosts a penalty. For minutes he watched the scene between Can and Rodri on the advice of his video assistant – and finally revised his decision only very hesitantly. That didn’t seem sovereign. Just like at the beginning of December, when he led the scandal match between Paris St. Germain and Başakşehir Istanbul. Why he withdrew the decision, but not the yellow card against Can – unclear.
The situation of Haaland is just as unclear. Rumors of wild negotiation trips and even wilder transfer fees have grown up around the Norwegian. How he feels about it, status uncommented. But what he wants, unmistakably. The Norwegian wants the Champions League. As with international matches, he sang along with the anthem. A Haaland in the Europa League sounds very strange. Given the situation in the Bundesliga, however, it is a threatening scenario. To be averted even over the triumph in the premier class.
For a long time he was unable to contribute to this against Manchester. Neither did he get into the pressing well, nor did he get into strong final scenes. He had one after the break. In stumbling, he failed on keeper Ederson.
And although he went without a hit for the first time in this premier league season, he still had a moment of his irresistibility. How he unlocked Reus before equalizing was just really good. Dortmund without Haaland, it’s like FC Bayern without Robert Lewandowski, like FC Barcelona without Lionel Messi. And that’s not how it should happen. “We continue to plan with him – regardless of where we end up in the end,” said BVB sports director Michael Zorc before kick-off in Manchester.
Zorc reacted calmly to the latest media reports from Spain about a meeting between Haaland’s father Alf-Inge and advisor Mino Raiola with Barça President Joan Laporta. BVB had already had a conversation with the father and the advisor before the much-noticed trip: “You got a clear message from us.” Accordingly, it should also be held if the club actually missed qualifying for the Champions League. That sounds kind of strange. Especially on this Tuesday evening. But it would be so fitting for this Dortmund team.
Tobias Nordmann
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