Bundesliga
“In their own hands”: Disastrous BVB hopes for Paris
The Borussia Dortmund team didn’t cut a good figure in Leipzig. photo
© Jan Woitas/dpa
In the Bundesliga, Dortmund lost another top game and was off track for over an hour in Leipzig. Nevertheless, BVB is optimistic about the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Julian Brandt vented his frustration in the basement of the Leipzig stadium, Edin Terzic wanted to leave as quickly as possible, Sebastian Kehl took the team to task. Borussia Dortmund has become… Leipzig once again showed its disastrous side and probably ultimately lost a place in the top four of the Bundesliga. And yet BVB goes into the semi-final first leg of the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain full of confidence.
“We will now have to turn our attention relatively quickly to Wednesday,” warned sports director Kehl after the 1:4 at RB Leipzig. “We have shown that often enough that we can perform very, very well in this competition.”
Second face in the premier class
From a sober perspective, BVB has no other choice. A win against the French champions on Wednesday (9 p.m./DAZN) would contribute significantly to the Bundesliga securing fifth place for the coming premier class season. Beneficiary: Dortmund. “We can turn fifth place into a Champions League place for ourselves. We have that in our own hands,” emphasized Kehl.
BVB draws its optimism primarily from the performances shown so far in the Champions League. Dortmund won the group with PSG, Newcastle and Milan and beat Atlético Madrid in the quarter-finals with a gala home game. If you take the Bundesliga as a benchmark – Dortmund is now five points behind fourth-placed Leipzig – you could be afraid.
Brandt’s prayers
“This is a complete slap in the face for me. That’s how it feels,” said national player Julian Brandt about the defeat in Leipzig. Dortmund played great for 20 minutes, only to completely fall apart. After all: Mats Hummels’ injury turned out to be an easily treatable tear on his shin. The defense chief is there against Paris. The same applies to Emre Can, who is suspended in Leipzig, and Marcel Sabitzer, who is ill, could also be an option.
In the league, the top four have “run away” this season, as Brandt noted. “We are clearly playing below our standards,” said the 27-year-old. Fortunately, there is the UEFA annual ranking, which gives the two best nations an additional starting place for the premium competition. “If things go the way they are and you can still qualify for the Champions League – you can really pray three times in the evening and say thank you to God,” said Brandt.
20 minutes of hope
With regard to PSG, coach Terzic prefers to use the initial phase in Leipzig rather than divine assistance. “We realized how great the chance is to take something away if you do it the way you did in the first 20 minutes,” said the 41-year-old. And the 4-2 win against Atlético a week and a half ago showed that the team can overcome a deficit.
And otherwise? After his third defeat in a row in Leipzig, Terzic wanted to get away from the hero city quickly. The coach did not give the press conference after the game together with his counterpart Marco Rose, as usual, but rather alone. This ensured the fastest possible departure from Leipzig. All that mattered was Paris.