28th matchday
Later shock in Stuttgart: BVB lacks the maturity again
BVB conceded the 3:3 in injury time. photo
© Tom Weller/dpa
Coach Terzic and sports director Kehl are completely served after Dortmund’s 3: 3 in Stuttgart. Once again, BVB misses a great opportunity in the championship fight – and threatens to end up empty-handed.
Edin Terzic and Sebastian Kehl were looking for the right words just a few meters apart. The late shock from Stuttgart shook the coach and sporting director of Borussia Dortmund to the core.
Coach Terzic felt “anger” and “disappointment” after the spectacular 3:3 (2:0) including a goal conceded in the seventh minute of added time at VfB Stuttgart, which was in danger of relegation. His superior Kehl had “a complete lack of understanding for this second half”, oscillating between “frustration” and even a “certain aggressiveness.”
Instead of drawing level with leaders FC Bayern Munich on points in the championship battle of the Bundesliga, the second in the table suffered a serious setback. Yet again. As so often in recent years. BVB too often lacks title maturity in the crucial phases.
“There are reasons why we haven’t managed to be at the top in the last ten years,” said Terzic at the press conference after the game, spanning the wide arc from BVB’s eighth and so far last championship title in 2012 to today. “There’s a reason I’ve had a lot of criticism over the past few weeks for being very humble about the situation we’re in,” he said.
Dortmund lacks the necessary bite
Already at the break, when his team was leading 2-0 in Stuttgart and was outnumbered because of the yellow-red card against VfB defender Konstantinos Mavropanos (39th minute), he pointed out that the opponent only had one chance left to come back to the game: “Then when we lose discipline.”
And Dortmund lost discipline – when they had the ball, lost it and defended. They still had two hits on the crossbar, but in many duels they no longer had the necessary bite. After goals from Sébastien Haller (26′) and Donyell Malen (33′), they conceded the equalizer against ten Stuttgarters through Tanguy Coulibaly (78′) and Josha Vagnoman (84′).
Even after Joker Giovanni Reyna (90 + 3) ensured the lead again, it wasn’t enough to win. The supposed salvation was followed by the 3:3 defeat by Stuttgart’s Silas (90+7) right in the middle of the master chants of the BVB fans who had traveled with them. “That must not happen,” emphasized Dortmund midfielder Salih Özcan and spoke of a perceived defeat. “All in all, the second half was extremely disappointing and ruined a lot for us,” Kehl analyzed.
BVB remains two points behind Bayern
Bayern, who themselves only drew 1-1 against TSG Hoffenheim, remain two points ahead of BVB with six games to go and have the clearly better goal difference. Despite their brilliant race to catch up with eight wins in the first eight league games of the year, Dortmund threaten to end up without a title again. “So unnecessary, so stupid” was this setback in Stuttgart, complained the visibly battered Terzic.
He referred to Haller’s illness and other personnel concerns in the first half of the season, slipping to sixth place before the winter break. “With a lot of hard work and a lot of anger” the preparations started in January. “Then we put ourselves in the starting position we’re in right now – and then we’re just giving it away today.”
Dortmund’s coach sometimes sounded like he was close to tears, but at the end of his analysis he pulled himself together. “There is still so much that is worth fighting for,” emphasized the 40-year-old, referring to the close race for the cup. “I think it’s well known that we and I in particular have a huge desire,” he said. There are still six games left. His team, which he did not publicly protect this time as usual, must “finally start learning from these unnecessary setbacks and not let it come back.” It takes more maturity. Otherwise there’s no title again.
