Borussia Dortmund remains FC Bayern Munich’s first pursuer. After the happy 2-0 win against 1. FC Köln on matchday 10, the overall weak but efficient BVB are still one point behind Bayern.
Thorgan Hazard scored the first goal with a head after the only really planned, but all the more beautiful attacking play of Borussia in the first half (40th). Steffen Tigges (63rd) made everything clear with his first Bundesliga goal in the second half, in which BVB was far weaker than in the first.
“We are very satisfied today,” said Sebastian Kehl, the head of the BVB licensed player department at Sky afterwards. “We won 2-0. We can certainly play better, but the people who came to the stadium today can be very satisfied. We were efficient, had clearer chances, were more effective and in the end we deserved to win I think, “added Kehl.
BVB coach Marco Rose admitted: “With the ball, FC were the better team”. “You cannot play tiki-taka” against this opponent. But his team “ran a lot” and “won more duels”. BVB is “very happy with the win.” His opposite Steffen Baumgart said: “Except for the result, I’m satisfied. The boys played a good game, but unfortunately no goals. Nevertheless, we always stuck to it, we should have rewarded ourselves. We are on the right track.”
BVB – 1. FC Köln: The analysis
This is how efficiency works: BVB scored two goals from the first four shots on goal, 1. FC Köln did not create any chances, despite xx and sometimes very high-quality chances.
And yet: It is impressive how 1. FC Cologne performs under coach Steffen Baumgart. For long stretches of the game, Cologne not only presented itself on a par with the Champions League club, but also had a better and overall more adult-looking playing system: FC pressed up as usual, especially right-back Benno Schmitz and midfielder Jan Thielmann pushed again and again and put Marius Wolf and especially the weak Marin Pongracic under pressure again and again. A capital bad pass Pongracics in the central midfield resulted almost in 0: 1 when Ondrej Duda from around 50 meters narrowly failed to Kobel.
But the FC under Baumgart is not only a well-oiled pressing machine, they can also do something with the ball and accordingly often has it – on Saturday x percent more than BVB. The FC almost forcibly earned better chances of scoring against Dortmund, who were too passive, especially in the second half.
At BVB, which will have to do without top scorer Erling Haaland for “weeks” (BVB sports director Michael Zorc at Sky), there was a lack of penetration forward and compactness in all parts of the team. But the team was all the more efficient.
Coach Marco Rose had formed his Dortmund in a 3-4-3 basic order, with Thorgan Hazard as the nominal Haaland representative in the storm center. Hazard was seldom on the ball like Haaland in many games, but went further and went sprint after sprint. At 1-0 he benefited from a thoughtful, long pass Manuel Akanjis from defense into the center, the strong deposit of Brandt, who prevailed against Hübers and dropped on Bellingham and above all from Bellingham’s buttery flank on his head.
If the 1-0 was somewhat flattering, it was Tigges’ goal to make it 2-0 even more. Until then, the game in the second half against even stronger and more powerful Cologne players had almost completely rushed past BVB. But because especially Cologne’s goal hunter Anthony Modeste missed all chances – in total he shot four times on goal, the favorite prevailed.
BVB – 1. FC Köln: The lineups
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel – Akanji, Hummels, Pongracic (Tigges 58.) – Meunier, Witsel, Bellingham, M. Wolf (Passlack 70.) – Brandt, T. Hazard (Malen 58.), Reus
The data of the game Borussia Dortmund against 1. FC Cologne
Gates: 1-0 Hazard (40th), Tigges (63rd).
The star of the game: Julian Brandt (BVB)
Sure, Julian Brandt’s pass rate was not outstanding against Cologne either. Sure, most of his colleagues won more duels than he did against Cologne. But: Hardly anyone was more committed than Brandt, who completed the most tackles, played the most passes in the opposing half and made the most passes to a shot. In addition: His robust assertion against Duda and his deposit on Bellingham only enabled the cross to 1-0, Tigges’ 2-0 he prepared himself.
The flop of the game: Marin Pongracic (BVB)
Especially on the side of the left central defender, the FC was dangerous again and again in the first half. The interaction with the track player Marius Wolf, who played in front of him, did not work at all, a misunderstanding between the two led to the alleged Cologne 1-0. Wolf at least made a lot of steam and was very committed overall, but von Pongracic didn’t get enough until he was substituted in the 58th minute. Lost two of his three tackles, lost the ball seven times.
The referee: Martin Petersen
Recognized the handball of the Cologne man immediately in Uth’s alleged opening goal and had no other problems with the management of the game. Sovereign appearance.
