In a wild exchange of blows with an important victory, BVB kept up the connection to the Champions League places. Borussia Dortmund defeated FC Augsburg 4:3 (2:2) and climbed to sixth place.
BVB, who were superior in the first round, took the lead through Jude Bellingham (29th) and Nico Schlotterbeck (42nd). But FCA punished individual mistakes in the person of Arne Maier (40th) and Ermedin Demirovic (45th + 1) ice cold.
After the break, the two jokers Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (75th) and Giovanni Reyna (78th) scored for Dortmund. David Colina (76th) equalized for Augsburg in the meantime.
Bellingham saw his fifth yellow card and will miss BVB’s away game in Mainz on Wednesday.
Sébastien Haller was in the Dortmund squad for the first time in a competitive game after his cancer illness and celebrated his comeback in the 62nd minute to thunderous applause and standing ovations.
Borussia Dortmund – FC Augsburg: The analysis
BVB coach Edin Terzic sent his team onto the field in a 4-1-4-1 formation – including newcomer Ryerson, who replaced the injured right-back Meunier. In defensive midfield, Özcan gave the only six, while Bellingham and Brandt acted a little more offensively in eighth. Captain Reus, who had reported back in preparation after recovering from an ankle injury, was absent from the squad due to illness.
Dortmund initially took command, but Moukoko’s first approach to the goal (3rd) lacked accuracy. A lot went down the right flank, where Adeyemi kept trying to play his pace. The Augsburgers, who lost Vargas injured early on after a tackle from Hummels (12th), acted compactly and narrowed the spaces in midfield. Bellingham’s prudent shifts kept creating gaps. After a confused initial phase, in which Augsburg even had the best chance with a header from Demirovic (13th), BVB pressed the accelerator again.
The opportunities piled up – Malen (18′) and Moukoko (23′) – before Bellingham (29′) completed a self-initiated attack with a precise shot from the edge of the box. BVB actually controlled what was happening afterwards, but got themselves into trouble again. Maier’s equalization (40′) benefited from an unnecessary loss of the ball by Schlotterbeck and a hesitant defensive behavior from Özcan. Schlotterbeck (42nd) ironed out his mistake immediately after a free-kick cross. But because Augsburg also used the second real chance through Demirovic (45 + 1) ice cold, the game was completely open at the break despite the optical superiority of Dortmund, due to slight but decisive lack of concentration.
After the change of sides, Augsburg initially took the initiative, Dortmund had problems finding the gaps against the good space allocation of the Augsburg team. When Kobel couldn’t find a passing station in the build-up, occasional whistles could be heard. With Haller’s emotional substitution (62nd), a jolt went through the game for a short time. The Augsburgers continued to keep the Dortmunders, who were running up but somewhat unimaginative, in check with their disciplined order.
Significant: The 3: 2 by returnee Bynoe-Gittens (75th), who scored in Robben style, was the result of individual class. Equally significant: the lead only lasted a minute because the Dortmund defense allowed Colina to score (76′). Reyna (78th) crowned the wild exchange of blows with the 4:3, which is also worth seeing. As strong as the Dortmund offensive presented itself, the defense lacked the last necessary consistency.
In the final phase, the joker, together with Reyna, who later scored the winning goal, brought in the decisive momentum. Scored for the interim 3:2.
The flop of the game: Salih Özcan (BVB)
As the only six, Özcan should secure in the center, Terzic emphasized before the game. But the ex-Cologne player was involved in both goals conceded before the break due to unfortunate or insufficient duel behavior. Didn’t manage to keep the middle tight in the second round either.
The referee: Frank Willenborg
With the individual sanctions, the referee let the Dortmunders get away with too much. Hummel’s hard work on the outside line could well have been given a yellow card due to Vargas’ injury. Ryerson, whose kick left Cardona bleeding, also escaped scot-free.
