Title fight in the Bundesliga
Subdued joy: BVB still hopes for Bayern blunders
Dortmund’s players let their fans celebrate after the 5-2 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach. photo
© Bernd Thissen/dpa
The Dortmund Torfabrik does not make it to the top of the table, but continues to put FC Bayern under pressure. The 5: 2 over Gladbach fuels the hope of a happy ending in the master thriller.
Edin Terzic didn’t seem really happy. The vain hope of a blunder from the leaders from Munich, who are still one point better, dampened the football teacher’s joy at Borussia Dortmund’s 5: 2 (4: 0) against Mönchengladbach a little later.
But even Bayern’s 6-0 thrashing of FC Schalke did not change the determination of the BVB coach. “I think we sent a message today that we’re still here, that we’re still chasing and that we’re ready to do anything until the end,” commented the 40-year-old. He added combatively: “Bayern have to step on the gas, we will step on the gas.”
BVB seems ready for the title showdown with two more games in Augsburg and against Mainz. Especially in the first half hour with goals from Donyell Malen (5th), Jude Bellingham (18th / foul penalty) and Sébastien Haller (20th / 32nd), the second in the table played like a week before against Wolfsburg (6: 0). big up. The Dortmund gave the champions of the past ten years from Munich little reason to feel too safe in the long-distance duel with the pursuer.
Title hope lives on
In view of the heavier remaining program of Bayern with games against Leipzig and in Cologne, Dortmund’s hope of a weakness in the title rival and a changing of the guard lives on. “We won’t pray every day that something will happen, but we can increase the probability. The best way to do that is to win the last two games. We’re not done yet,” said Terzic.
After the eleventh home win in a row, Terzic was able to get over the fact that his team faltered for a short time after the secure 4-0 lead thanks to goals from Rami Bensebaini (75th / penalty kick) and Lars Stindl (85th).
Julian Brandt reacted to this phase of weakness less moderately than the coach. This speaks for the growing ability of the team for self-criticism. “In the second half it freaked me out a bit, we let it linger, we got a slight Stuttgart vibe,” complained the international, referring to the 3-3 win at VfB a few weeks ago when Borussia beat ten Stuttgart lost a 2-0 lead.
Most of the time, however, the famous offensive helped to compensate for such weaknesses. No team in Europe’s top divisions have scored more after the end of the winter break than BVB, who have scored an impressive 53 goals in 17 games. Above all, Malen, which many fans have already written off as a bad buy, seems to have been relieved of heavy burdens. With nine goals and four assists, the 24-year-old Dutchman is suddenly one of the best scorers in the league this year. “I dream of the championship trophy. That’s how we play,” said the fast attacker, who was signed from Eindhoven in the summer of 2021.
Because Haller (8 goals) and Karim Adeymi (6) have recently shown a clear improvement in form, BVB can still hope for their first championship title since 2012. “That’s exactly what we had in mind. You can see what’s in their feet,” Terzic commented on the new power of the BVB offensive, “hard to imagine that these three players still haven’t had a Bundesliga goal after 16 match days “.
“I enjoy it every day”
This development is particularly pleasing for Haller, who missed most of the first half of the season after two cancer surgeries and accompanying chemotherapy. The top scorer played his best game in the black and yellow jersey against Mönchengladbach, initiated the first two goals and scored the next two goals himself.
“It’s something mental that’s why I’m doing so well. I enjoy being here every day, being able to be on the pitch and in the dressing room. But it’s just as good to play at the top of the table,” enthused the BVB record purchase committed by Ajax Amsterdam last summer.
Deeply relaxed, Haller set the direction for the end of the season: “In 2023 we are the best team in Germany, it has to stay that way,” said the Ivorian international, referring to his team’s magnificent results after the winter break. A ride in the championship parade around Dortmund’s cult site on Borsigplatz would be like a football fairy tale for the Ivorian international: “My goal is to enjoy everything with the boys. We have to make each other happy.”