Haaland “with us next season”: BVB storms into the Champions League

Sunday May 16, 2021

Update
Haaland “with us next season”
BVB storms into the Champions League

Victory in the DFB Cup, now qualification for the Champions League. Borussia Dortmund achieved two successes in just three days. Or even three? Because sports director Michael Zorc makes a big promise about super striker Erling Haaland before the game.

Borussia Dortmund can’t get out of the partying and has also transformed the first match ball into the Champions League in the cup frenzy. Three days after the cup triumph, the team of coach Edin Terzic won 3-1 (2-0) at FSV Mainz 05, which had already been rescued, and crowned their furious catch-up in the Bundesliga. BVB was not deterred by a thunderstorm interruption on the way to the sixth premier class participation in a row.

“Few people believed in us,” said captain Marco Reus proudly at Sky. “The team deserves an unbelievable compliment. It was really strong, the mentality we have shown over the past few weeks.” BVB have made their own way: “If we have to, we can do great things.”

Raphael Guerreiro (23rd), Marco Reus (42nd) and Julian Brandt (80th) brought the joyful Dortmunders their sixth league win in a row. Robin Quaison shortened for Mainz (90th + 1, hand penalty after video evidence). In the meantime, a thunderstorm with heavy rain and strong gusts of wind over the Mainz stadium had really mixed up the game, the second half could only be kicked off with a delay of around fifteen minutes.

At the same time, Dortmund ended the Mainz series of nine games without defeat. But that shouldn’t matter to the Rheinhessen, they celebrated their historic relegation on Saturday in the quarantine hotel, on Sunday afternoon around 300 fans received the team in front of the stadium. For the first time ever, a Bundesliga team managed to stay in the league after only seven points from the first half of the season.

Haaland stays – says Zorc

Terzic, who will be succeeded by Marco Rose in the coming season despite a successful head coach mission, wanted to take the momentum from 4-1 against RB Leipzig on Thursday evening unchecked and sent the two cup heroes Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho into the race from the start. Only Thomas Meunier and Giovanni Reyna joined the team. BVB immediately took control, but initially found no gaps in the safe and deep Mainz defense.

It was dangerous for the first time in the 17th minute after captain Reus made a strong opening, but Jude Bellingham narrowly missed. Shortly afterwards, left-back Guerreiro aimed better from the edge of the box. The guests kept the pressure up after the opening goal, but they rarely came in front of the goal. Storm giant Haaland, whose whereabouts sporting director Michael Zorc had confirmed before the game at Sky, remained pale for long stretches. The statement “He will play for us next season” should still make the fans and the league happy.

While Mainz missed the consistency of the past few weeks, Dortmund continued to run with a lot of possession – and was rewarded. Reus poked the ball into the goal shortly before the break to make it 2-0. After the storm interruption, however, the hosts whirled first. Karim Onisiwo (47th), the substitute Quaison (51st), Jean-Paul Boetius (53rd) and Danny Latza (64th) had good opportunities. However, BVB regained more control, U21 national goalkeeper Finn Dahmen saved strong against Sancho (65th) in his second Bundesliga game. Brandt’s goal was the decision.