“The boys aren’t stupid, just sometimes forgetful,” coach Edin Terzic joked before kick-off. With calculation. In the Champions League game at FC Sevilla, his footballers should defiantly prove to him that they really never forgot the maximum stake in any phase of this game. Terzic knows his Pappenheimer.
At Borussia Dortmund, after three defeats in four competitive games, the mentality debate had already blossomed again when BVB demonstrated really impressive willpower in Andalusia. He was already 3-0 up at halftime with goals from Raphael Guerreiro (6′), Jude Bellingham (41′) and Karim Adeyemi (43′). In the end he won 4-1 thanks to another goal by Julian Brandt (75′). The side now have six points and have a chance at home next Tuesday – again against Sevilla – to take a huge step towards the last 16.
Then the Borussia meet the same team, but a different coach. After a bad start to the season, Julen Lopetegui is replaced by Jorge Sampaoli at FC Sevilla.
In Seville, BVB plays Moukoko instead of Modeste
In Andalusia, Terzic had chosen 17-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko for the first time as a centre-forward instead of 34-year-old Anthony Modeste, who started nine consecutive competitive games, hardly developed any bonds and scored only one goal. Moukoko did a good job, was always playable and claimed many balls.
He wasn’t involved in the 1-0 lead, but he didn’t need to. Bellingham played a wonderful diagonal ball from the inside right to the left flank in midfield and caught Guerreiro, who ran a few more steps and then shot from the corner of the box, high and long into the goal.
The focus of the hosts: Youssef En-Nesyri, when he failed three times at BVB goalkeeper Alexander Meyer – and when he was spared the red card in the 20th minute because of an emergency brake because the referee then recognized on the monitor that this move was preceded by a Dortmund foul by Adeyemi.
Borussia went on undeterred, Bellingham in particular was in a fabulous mood to play. He scored the 2-0 in the 41st minute with a single action from a tight angle. Two minutes later, Adeyemi seemed to make everything clear early on with the 3-0.
But, alas: En-Nesyri reduced the lead to 1:3 in the 51st minute. Was there still a threat of forgetfulness in Dortmund? Seville increased risk, speed and passion, but even BVB without Marco Reus and Mats Hummels fought back as best they could. “Bildness and presence are the biggest construction sites,” club boss Hans-Joachim Watzke had stormed in the media before the game, but on this evening in Seville Dortmund were both bilious and present.
With emphasis on this, Brandt headed the redeeming 4:1 with a quarter of an hour to go. Dortmund’s chances are now excellent to move back into the Champions League round of 16 after a failed European Cup last season.
