It took Edin Terzić a bit to get Borussia Dortmund back on the road to success. In the top game at FC Bayern, he is now measuring himself against Thomas Tuchel, one of his predecessors, who is so very different.
Edin Terzić has only played 48 Bundesliga games as head coach in the statistics. Nevertheless, he managed to win at least one game against every opponent from the top German league – with one exception: Bayern Munich. After all, he got a point in the first leg, it was also only his second game against the series champion. The 2:2, ensured by a late goal by Anthony Modeste, was celebrated like a victory.
The rivals therefore ended the ninth match day with the same number of points, but Bayern soon pulled away again. In the break from the World Cup, only 15 games had been played, BVB went nine points behind Bayern Munich.
BVB only finished sixth and the question was whether they would overtake SC Freiburg and 1. FC Union Berlin. The championship was written off and qualification for the Champions League was in danger.
“This feeling of looking at this shit table for two and a half months gave us a lot of energy”Terzić looked back.
Before the second leg at Bayern on Saturday (April 1, 2023, from 6.30 p.m. in the audio live stream on sportschau.de and in the ticker), the table has a black and yellow frame: Dortmund are one point ahead of Munich.
“We’re on the move. That makes us very confident. If we not only approach the game with a dose of respect, but also with courage, then we have a great chance.”, said Terzić before the big game. Another point against Bayern and Dortmund would have their first championship under their belt since 2012.
Terzić would have to win eight games after that, then it would be done. In the 2020/21 season, after taking over the team for the first time after the release of Lucien Favre, he won the last seven games and still led BVB into the Champions League.
Two years ago it also took some time for Dortmund to get up to speed under the fan who made it onto the coaching bench. The 40-year-old Terzić knows how it is in the curve, on away trips, after derby wins and after derby defeats. That makes him popular with the curve, but also in the boardroom, which since Jürgen Klopp has longed for someone who can make a listed football company look like a romantic football club.
Duel with Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel, Klopp’s chronological successor, couldn’t and didn’t want to. All cameras will initially be focused on the new Bayern Munich coach on Saturday. He is considered one of the best football coaches in the world. Sports show expert Bastian Schweinsteiger sees him “at the level of Guardiola”.
Tuchel does many things better than others and many players better. In the past few months, Terzić has managed to get many players back to the best they can be: Julian Brandt, Karim Adeyemi, Niklas Süle, Nico Schlotterbeck. That was the key to catching and overtaking the ailing Bayern. BVB have scored 28 out of a possible 30 points in the last ten Bundesliga games. Terzić has made his Borussia dream, but has always warned that setbacks can happen again. The danger was never higher than Saturday.
