During the week there was a big celebration in Köpenick: 60 years of 1. FC Union, that was a celebration that could be celebrated in high spirits even beyond the anniversary itself, thanks to the Bundesliga table.
However, Dortmund’s Tuesday evening was much less celebratory; the 2-0 defeat in London at Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League was followed by the well-known mentality debate at BVB. But Saturday evening at the frosty forestry facility was just right for the Borussia team. With determination, emotion and also a certain icy coldness, Niko Kovac’s team achieved a 3-0 victory that made them look in the mirror with great satisfaction. “Today it was really adult football,” said Nico Schlotterbeck, and not, like on Tuesday, “a bit of children’s football.”
The defender scored the second and deciding goal with his head after Emre Can’s early penalty goal in the 10th minute (54′). And because Dortmund, as second in the league, not only continues to do well, but is also a little better than before this match day, he emphasized that the championship had not yet been decided. “We want to stick with it,” he said. After FC Bayern’s first defeat of the season against FC Augsburg, the gap is still eight points, and Schlotterbeck pointed out that the Munich team still has to go to Dortmund.
It had to be said that Borussia’s game on Saturday oscillated for a while between controlling relay style and low-creativity template football. But at the latest with the 3-0, which Maximilian Beier contributed with elegance in the 84th minute, the mix was right from the Dortmund coach’s point of view. “We fought passionately and played really good football at times,” said Niko Kovac, who brought up the topic of mentality in London himself.
After Tottenham’s low blow, he sent his team onto the Berlin green in an attacking manner, with Beier, Fabio Silva and Serhou Guirassy. Before taking the lead, Guirassy was lucky that the ball fell back at his feet after Leopold Querfeld tackled it. With the next touch he got a foot ahead of goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow, whose grip left no room for discussion: a penalty, and captain Can was the usual confident man for this situation.
In the 18th minute it was harder not to score the goal after Felix Nmecha, one of the best Borussia players that evening, stole the ball from across the field and ran freely towards Rönnow. He meant well when he served the even freer Guirassy, but he made a wrong move, the flow was gone, Bellingham and Silva still managed to shoot, but could no longer find the gap.
After that, there was little action in the Berlin penalty area and BVB switched to control mode – although the Union team were unimpressed by this. They kept pushing and balls kept sailing in front of the Dortmund goal. Coach Steffen Baumgart, now fully up to speed, took off his coat. But it didn’t get really hot in front of the Dortmund goal.
In the past few weeks and months, Baumgart has mastered the art of substitution. The most recent six goals and all four of the new year were in the joker goal category. But before Baumgart scored his first, Dortmund scored for the second time. Rönnow parried Bellingham’s shot well, but the following corner, taken by Ryerson, found the head of Schlotterbeck in a high arc, who scored from close range.
Another stationary ball, which is often Dortmund’s key to success this season. But it was also fitting in that the tough defense with Schlotterbeck, Waldemar Anton and Can embodied BVB’s winning formula this time too – and unlike in London. Afterwards, one or two actions with Can heated up the Berlin audience. But on the pitch the balance of power now seemed to have finally frozen.
