Many tears, Haaland’s tablet
Reyna’s injury drama frustrates BVB a lot
04/09/2022, 09:12 am
A few seconds have passed before Gio Reyna has to leave the field again in his BVB game against VfB Stuttgart. The 19-year-old injured his thigh again. “A drama,” says coach Marco Rose. And it’s not the only injury of the evening.
Giovanni Reyna trotted into the dressing room with his head bowed. He had pulled the jersey over his head to hide his pained face and tears. Only a minute had been played in the game at VfB Stuttgart when he grabbed his thigh after a long step. It quickly became clear: it couldn’t go any further. Another muscle injury – and that in the starting line-up comeback.
“It’s a drama, you really have to say that,” said coach Marco Rose on Sky. “A really, really great footballer, fine person,” he said of Reyna. “If he stays healthy, he will be world class. I’m not leaning too far out of the window. We will support him in everything.”
Because that is exactly the problem: the health of the 19-year-old. He has already missed 27 competitive games this season. He only played through one game, against 1. FC Köln at the end of March. He returned to the squad in mid-March, after four games and his one-minute mission against Stuttgart it’s over for the time being. “Gio is of course ready to go again,” said Rose at DAZN.
Hummels and Dahoud also injured
The American’s muscle injury, Mahmoud Dahoud’s aching shoulder and Mats Hummels’ thigh problems spoiled Borussia Dortmund’s coach Marco Rose’s mood. “Mats pulled it into his thigh too,” said the coach.
More than 2000 lost days had been counted at BVB this season before the redeeming 2-0 (1-0) away win at VfB Stuttgart. There is no end in sight, because Donyell Malen had already signed off before the game with muscle problems.
According to the club, however, the many muscle injuries are not the reason why Bundesliga soccer club and physiotherapist Thomas Zetzmann will go their separate ways at the end of the season. “He’s incredibly popular at the club and is leaving for personal reasons,” affirmed Rose. “Everyone at the club makes up their own minds. We’re in an excellent position and we’re going for it. But in the end you can’t look at the number either.”
Haaland frustrated
Erling Haaland still has an injury problem, but not a muscular one. He has been struggling with a foot injury for a long time and has been out for several weeks. “Actually, he’s not one to take a painkiller before the game. But today he is,” said Rose, who also let Haaland play through due to the failure of strike partner Malen.
According to Rose, the fact that the Norwegian has repeatedly waved his hand in frustration and has been waiting for a goal for five games and 385 minutes has nothing to do with his uncertain future at BVB. “His future has nothing to do with it, what’s holding him back is his foot.” After all, he contributed the assist to make it 1-0. The coach is not very worried about Haaland’s form: “He’s a world-class striker, that’s happened to most of them. He’ll be all the happier if he scores again,” Rose is sure.
Brandt is the match winner
Despite the win in Stuttgart, Borussia’s chances of jeopardizing FC Bayern Munich’s tenth championship in a row are not great. Dortmund moved up to six points behind the leader. Munich can with a home win against FC Augsburg this Saturday (3.30 p.m./Sky and in the ntv.de live ticker) but restore the old lead of nine points.
Julian Brandt’s evening could have been sporty. The offensive player, who has been criticized again and again, shone in front of 58,246 spectators after replacing Reyna with two goals (12th / 71st). The personal setbacks overshadowed the performance of the national player.
At VfB, who were unbeaten four times recently, the mood after the setback in the fight to stay up in the league is also not good. Should Arminia Bielefeld score points at VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday (3.30 p.m.) and Hertha BSC win against 1. FC Union in the Berlin city derby (6.30 p.m./both Sky), the Swabians would fall back to the penultimate place.
Sports director Sven Mislintat is not worried. “We’ll watch our rivals’ games and hope they don’t get any points,” he said. “But we still have everything in our own hands.”