The fact that two hours of Champions League football can be enough to fundamentally change perceptions about the situation of a football club is not an entirely new finding in football. However, it is rare that this does not even require elimination from the competition, so the effect of Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund is quite remarkable.
Before kick-off, sports director Sebastian Kehl countered the critics, who were often perceived as excessively loud in the club, by saying that the situation “is not as bad as you sometimes feel in this club”. After this game, he quickly joined the skeptics faction himself.
“We have to understand that we have to do more. That we have to play more intense football again,” said Kehl and explained: “We have to sharpen our senses. This is a situation in which we have to be very critical in order not to get into a situation in which we ask ourselves in a few weeks why we lost everything at this moment.”
“Then it will be difficult”
The Dortmund team presented the audience with a scary first half, at the end of which they were 2-0 down and only had ten men left. “If you just try to do something with the ball and without physicality, then it will be difficult,” said Niko Kovac when asked about the losing rate of only 36 percent of duels won before the break. “We thought we could play the Champions League today,” complained the coach, “but you have to fight for the Champions League first.”
In the end, the fact that a controversial red card against Daniel Svensson (24th) favored the defeat was only a side issue; BVB was too weak that evening. Although it was a classic from the dark side of video evidence. “If you look at this hit picture in a still image, you can say: That’s a red card,” said Kehl. The open sole of Svensson’s left foot hit Wilson Odobert squarely in the shin. However, without any dynamism, the Dortmund player had even played the ball before, and Odobert had run into the foot rather than been kicked.
Once again, the referees had disregarded two of their principles, which they try to uphold year after year in vain: only intervening in the event of clear errors. And not to be fooled by the distorted messages of the slowed down images. In the end, this fatal moment, combined with Dortmund’s lack of energy, became a toxic mixture, which Kovac also encouraged through his line-up.
With Julian Brandt, Karim Adeyemi and Yan Couto, there were three players on the pitch whose weaknesses in defensive duels are well known. Putting Karim Bensebaini, who had just returned from the Africa Cup, in this constellation reinforced this lack of stability. On the bench, however, were the reliably intense and aggressive Julian Ryerson and Maximilian Beier, whose positive impact on the game was clearly visible in the significantly better second half. “We have to learn our lessons from this,” said Kehl. “The team has to understand that this is not the expectation that we all have.”
Moments of lack of energy
It is unclear whether the sports director will also learn lessons for future squad planning. Because the problems are by no means new. Brandt is now known for always burdening his team with days of lack of energy between his many very good games, like in Tottenham. Just like Adeyemi, who has rare offensive strengths but quickly becomes a weak point when the team has to overcome difficult phases with resilience. Contracts with both are to be extended.
Anyone who hasn’t just looked at the results and game highlights over the past few weeks can see a pattern in the “commitment” category that runs through the season. Almost every BVB game contains phases that are riddled with technical errors and inaccuracies in the passing game. Against Bremen, St. Pauli or Mönchengladbach, this can be covered up by better phases and strong individual moments. But not the higher level of international competition.
In the Bundesliga, Dortmund receive a lot of praise for their defensive stability. Of the 36 teams in the Champions League late on Tuesday evening, only five clubs had allowed more goals than BVB, which conceded an average of more than two goals per game. “We don’t have to doubt that we have quality,” said Kovac, “but mentality is also part of football. Especially when you have the opportunity to get into the top eight in the Champions League.”
That is hardly possible anymore after the win against Bodö/Glimt in December, which was carelessly given away after a lead, and this defeat in the rain in London. “We carelessly squandered the chances we had,” said Kehl. In the last duel of the group phase against Inter Milan next week, it will most likely only be about a good starting position for the play-off round, in which very well-known opponents such as Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool and Turin threaten.
