There are stormy times ahead in Dortmund. That’s why BVB coach Edin Terzic felt little desire to get back to business as usual even after the two-week international break. The football teacher used the return of the national players to address the recent decline with just one point from three games.
“We don’t want to leave it like that,” said Terzic at the first joint training session since the disastrous performance in Stuttgart (1:2). He hopes that his points about the long list of deficiencies will have a positive effect in the Western Classic against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday (3:30 p.m./Sky): “It’s about drawing the right conclusions – and showing them.”
A win could help to smooth things over before the general meeting on Sunday and gain courage for the Champions League game on Tuesday at AC Milan. Fearing further setbacks, the 41-year-old called on his professionals to kick off the lavish remaining program until Christmas: “Now the next block begins with eight games in 25 days. We have to start it with a really good performance.”
Three games to forget
Within two weeks, the runner-up squandered their previously good starting position in the games against Frankfurt (3:3), Munich (0:4) and Stuttgart and fell eight points behind FC Bayern alone. League leaders Leverkusen, opponents in the away game on December 3rd, are already ten points away. For Salih Özcan, the growing unrest in the area is only logical: “It doesn’t feel good after the defeat in Stuttgart. We’re rightly under pressure,” said the midfielder in the “Copa TS” podcast.
Even the recent impressive home series against Mönchengladbach with nine wins in nine games with 32:5 goals cannot dispel the skepticism for Saturday. Terzic sees his team as responsible: “I expect us to come into the game completely differently and not lose four balls in the first minute because we are surprised by the toughness of the opponent’s duels. That we don’t have a wake-up call by conceding a goal or an opponent’s penalty need.”
Nmecha out for a long time, Can returns
The long absence of the injured newcomer Felix Nmecha until the start of the second half of the season will make the planned comeback more difficult. At least Emre Can is returning to the squad after a forced break of several weeks and could provide more stability in the defensive midfield.
In order to sharpen the senses of his professionals, Terzic referred to Gladbach’s upward trend. After only two points from the first five games of the season, coach Gerardo Seoane’s team recorded a further eleven points from the subsequent six matches and climbed into the top half of the table. “They have not only integrated some new recruits, but also have a new coach. Then sometimes it takes longer. If you look at their recent performances and results, they are very good and stable,” warned the BVB coach.
