81,000 fans, four goals conceded
BVB goes down against RB in front of a full house
4/2/2022, 8:24 p.m
Borussia Dortmund plays in the largest stadium in the Bundesliga, and on the 28th matchday it is fully occupied again for the first time. And then everything goes wrong: In the top game against RB Leipzig, the runner-up loses significantly, although striker Erling Haaland reports back in the starting eleven.
A lesson instead of a football festival – the long-awaited return of the fans has not helped Borussia Dortmund to the hoped-for holiday and a sense of achievement over arch-rivals from Leipzig. In front of 81,365 spectators in Signal Iduna Park, which was sold out for the first time in over two years, coach Marco Rose’s team had to lose in the top game of the Bundesliga after goals from Konrad Laimer (21st/30th), Christopher Nkunku (57th) and Dani Olmo (86th). .) accept a bitter 1:4 (0:2). Donyell Malen’s goal (84th) was far too little for the home side.
Although BVB remain in second place, they gambled away what was probably their last minimal chance of winning the title, now nine points behind FC Bayern. “We also know that it wasn’t good in the end. But you don’t have to act as if we were played 4-1 against the wall,” said BVB defense chief Mats Hummels. On the other hand, the Leipzig team continued their high with ten competitive games without defeat and consolidated fourth place. “We did very well, it was well deserved,” praised coach Domenico Tedesco.
Haaland’s return brings no impetus
The speedy recovery of striker Erling Haaland, who was in the starting line-up just four days after suffering an ankle injury in the international match with Norway, should boost the game of Borussia, who were weak at the end of the season.
Buoyed by the euphoric mood, BVB got off to a better start and was already close to taking the lead in the 7th minute. After a remarkable pass from Mats Hummels, Marco Reus appeared alone in front of RB keeper Peter Gulacsi, but played a bad pass instead of trying to finish himself.
The fact that Haaland just missed the goal just six minutes later after a mistake by Leipzig defender Mohamad Simakan was to take revenge a little later. Because the previously inconspicuous guests managed to take the lead with the first chance. BVB national player Emre Can lost the ball to Laimer in the build-up game and then left the Austrian criminally alone. The midfielder used this to score a surprising goal from close range after a pass from Nkunku.
It was not to be the only mishap for Can, who was used as a right-back. He deflected a shot from Laimer into his own net for BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and gave Laimer his first Bundesliga brace in his 103rd game.
This early 0:2 deficit caused by the Laimer brace made things difficult for Dortmund. There was little left of the momentum of the initial phase until the break. Against the now more stable RB defense, there were hardly any attacks worth seeing. Even after the restart, BVB seemed unsettled. The sluggish play structure caused the opponent few problems and encouraged him to dangerous counterattacks. This tactic paid off once again. A nice pass from the outstanding Laimer initiated the 3:0 by Nkunku. The game was decided in favor of Leipzig.
Dortmund’s efforts to improve the results were occasionally accompanied by whistles from the stands. Malen’s goal came far too late for a turnaround, especially as a little later Olmo scored the fourth goal for the visitors with a wonderful long-range shot.