Bundesliga
BVB coach Terzic: “They’re just getting in the face”
Dortmund coach Edin Terzic continues to be combative. photo
© Jan Woitas/dpa
Dortmund’s coach Edin Terzic is combative after the two desolate appearances in Munich and Leipzig. BVB boss Watzke calls for a “clear reaction” from the team.
There is no time for great frustration, but Edin Terzic’s recent desolate performances are by no means over. “You can’t forget something like that. Of course, that didn’t go unnoticed. We’re getting a kick in the face from all sides. Justifiably so, we know that too,” explained Borussia Dortmund’s head coach.
The humiliating league defeat at FC Bayern Munich (2:4) and the catastrophic performance in the 0:2 cup loss in Leipzig have left their mark on the eight-time German champions. BVB boss Hans-Joachim Watzke called for a “clear reaction” from the team before the extremely important game against third-placed 1. FC Union Berlin on Saturday (3:30 p.m. / Sky).
Terzic also expects “a different face” from his team. “We deal with it openly and honestly and analyze it hard, sharply and critically. We urgently need to change and adapt a few things in order to learn from them so that it doesn’t happen again tomorrow,” emphasized the football coach, who despite of all criticism of his team, although hardly anyone believes BVB to be able to win the championship in this condition.
Terzic does not want to tick off the championship yet
“You have to say that we didn’t show the performance in London, in Munich and now here in Leipzig to get to the top,” said Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl, who spoke of “two blows in the neck in a very short time”. “The question is why the team is recklessly tearing down what they have built up with hard work for eight months,” said Watzke, who worked through the situation with the coach the night after the Leipzig game.
For Terzic, the season didn’t go well with eight laps to go, two points behind FC Bayern Munich. “The starting position is still good, even if it was better. We still have a lot to fight for. We have a really great opportunity to write another big story this season. But it’s working not if we play like we did last time,” said the BVB coach.
BVB home strength should fix it
Dortmund’s home strength could prove to be an advantage. BVB won ten of twelve games at home, five of the remaining eight games of the season are played in Dortmund. “We don’t know if we’ll be able to top the table tomorrow, but we know that tomorrow we can pull five points clear of Union Berlin,” said Terzic. In the event of a defeat, however, Borussia would also drop back to third place.
Above all, Watzke expects an increase in performance from the seasoned professionals. “We have many players in the team who want to be leaders and can actually do it. Whether you’re a leader shows on the pitch, and only there,” said the BVB boss in the direction of Mats Hummels and Marco Reus .
In terms of personnel, Terzic can fall back on the recently suspended Karim Adeyemi against the pursuer. Sebastien Haller and Youssoufa Moukoko are also available as alternatives in attack. After his break in the starting eleven in Leipzig, Jude Bellingham will return to the starting line-up due to a “lack of freshness”.