DFB Cup
“It hurts incredibly”: BVB suffers and hopes for a reaction
Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel (l) and coach Edin Terzic say goodbye to the fans after the cup exit. photo
© Tom Weller/dpa
Dortmund are mourning what is probably their best chance of winning the season. Goalkeeper Kobel warns when looking at the Bundesliga table. Sports director Kehl is hoping for a reaction after the cup exit.
Borussia Dortmund is leaving after the round of 16 exit DFB Cup badly hit in the important home game against RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
“It hurts incredibly that we missed a huge opportunity again this year,” said goalkeeper Gregor Kobel after the deserved 0-2 (0-0) defeat at VfB Stuttgart. BVB’s probably best chance of winning the title this season is already gone. Winning the cup must always be the club’s goal, explained the Swiss. The path there was supposedly easy given the many eliminated Bundesliga teams.
Dortmund have already qualified for the round of 16 in the Champions League. In the league, however, they are already ten points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen. If they lose against Leipzig on Saturday (6.30 p.m./Sky), the Black and Yellows are already four points behind the table positions that entitle them to take part in the premier class.
BVB doesn’t want to lose connection
“The season is long. You notice that again and again. The game on Saturday doesn’t decide the whole season,” said keeper Kobel. But he also added: “We have to be extremely careful that we don’t lose touch. That starts with the next game.” The mood was “already shitty” after another very weak performance in Stuttgart, said the 26-year-old. Three and a half weeks ago, BVB had already lost to VfB in the league.
“We have shown often enough that we can react,” said sports director Sebastian Kehl, referring to the Leipzig game. But you have to “perform better in order to pass”. Kehl defended the tactical defensive approach of coach Edin Terzic, who had defended with a three-man/five-man chain in Stuttgart.