More awe than courage, more doubt than confidence – after the 1-1 draw in the exciting top game at Bayer Leverkusen, despite all the passion, disillusionment prevailed at Borussia Dortmund.
Slowly but surely the realization is gaining ground that the Bundesliga title fight this season will probably take place without BVB. 22:6 shots on goal, 16:1 corners and 62 percent ball possession in favor of the league leaders from the Rhineland were an expression of great inferiority. The defensive tactics of the Westphalians, who are actually known for their offensive power, also amazed Leverkusen: “I’ve never seen Dortmund play like that. Everyone behind the ball,” commented Bayer striker Patrik Schick.
Although the runner-up was actually doomed to win when he was already ten points behind, he denied his DNA. He defended his own goal with a lot of dedication and quality, but after Julian Ryerson’s early lead (5th minute), he hardly set any tone on the offensive. Even in the phase when Leverkusen temporarily reduced the pressure in the second half, Bayer keeper Lukas Hradecky remained almost unemployed.
Lead wolf Granit
BVB coach defends defensive orientation
Edin Terzic’s strategy almost worked – everything went according to plan until Victor Boniface’s late equalizer (79′). “Leverkusen are still undefeated, that’s what bothers me the most today. But I had the feeling that we were the team that were closest,” said the BVB coach. The 41-year-old defended his team’s defensive orientation: “We wanted to make sure that it’s not the number of goals you score that decides whether you win, but rather that you don’t swallow so much. We wanted to make sure that one or Two goals are enough to take something away.”
But the football teacher’s hope of more relief through counterattacks turned out to be wishful thinking. “We didn’t show the courage to claim a ball, maybe win a one-on-one duel. There are many aspects that make it look frightening,” admitted national player Julian Brandt. “Leverkusen deserved the win more than we did.”
In contrast to many observers, Terzic apparently still believes that he can still close the big gap to the remarkably stable leader. “It’s a big gap, that’s true. But there’s still so much to come, both for us and for Leverkusen. Leverkusen also has an exciting phase ahead of them with the Africa Cup,” said Terzic with a view to the continental tournament from January 13th to February 11th, for which his coaching colleague Xabi Alonso has to deploy five professionals, including regulars such as Boniface, Odilon Kossounou and Edmond Tapsoba.
Already on Wednesday, BVB faces its third high away hurdle within a week after the games in Milan (3:1) and Leverkusen. If the cup game at VfB Stuttgart (8.45 p.m.) were also lost, another season without a national title could hardly be avoided. The desolate performance in the Bundesliga game (1:2) at the same place in mid-November does not bode well. Captain Emre Can vowed to improve: “We want to show a different face than last time in Stuttgart.”
