It was a contentious scene that gave PSV Eindhoven the equalizer they deserved and in line with the course of the game. Defensive veteran Mats Hummels started to tackle after a quick PSV attack. With this he first hit the ball, but then also his opponent Malik Tillman. The Bayern loanee went straight to the ground and referee Srdjan Jovanovic pointed to the spot.
All of Hummels’ protests afterwards were of no use, and the VAR also had no objection to the strict, but not incorrect, penalty whistle. Luuk de Jong grabbed the ball and confidently converted the penalty. BVB goalie Alexander Meyer, who had to step in at short notice for Gregor Kobel (muscle problems), sensed the corner, but was unable to prevent the impact.
Uneventful final phase
After this 1:1 in the 56th minute, the game noticeably flattened out. Although Dortmund became more active again, they were unable to make more than a few attempts in attack. The Eindhoven team were also no longer as convincing as they were before the equalizer. Even when the score was 0-1, the Dutch were clearly the more dangerous team on the pitch.
However, Johan Bakayoko, Ismael Saibari and the always active Tillman were unable to succeed. The shaky BVB defense held tight for a long time until the referee’s whistle thwarted Borussia’s plans.
Painting meets
In the first half, BVB took the lead thanks to a goal from Donyell Malen. The former PSV player made a nice individual move to let an opponent out before he put the ball under the crossbar. His shot from a tight angle was slightly but decisively deflected. The Dutchman refrained from making big gestures of celebration out of respect.
It was Dortmund’s first real chance. Previously, only the eventual goalscorer had caused a stir with a shot. PSV, on the other hand, kept up well from the start and earned the equalizer later on. After this draw, everything is still open for the second leg on March 13th in Dortmund’s Signal-Iduna-Park.