BVB defender Nico Schlotterbeck showed what he can do against Bayern – and at a good time for him.
It’s the 72nd minute of the game in the Munich Arena when Nico Schlotterbeck sprints to tackle the ball. He is Dortmund’s last man, flies through his own penalty area, full risk! He hits the ball cleanly and elegantly, preventing Bayern’s top player Michael Olise, who was ready to take a shot, from finishing at the last moment – it is the spectacular climax of an impressive performance by the BVB defender.
Borussia Dortmund left the field as losers on Saturday after the 1:2 (0:1) draw at FC Bayern Munich and is now fourth in the Bundesliga, seven points behind the flawless leaders. But BVB at least managed to give Bayern a good fight in the second half after a completely unsuccessful first half with 0:10 shots on goal. And that had a lot to do with Schlotterbeck.
Defense chief and driver
The 25-year-old impressed in his core business, defensive work, winning 68 percent of duels – despite a risky approach in the second round. “We defended a lot one-on-one at the end, I had a lot of duels against Olise. It was a lot of fun, he’s a great player and has a good move towards the goal.”said Schlotterbeck at the sports show microphone. “I felt like I had a good day today. That makes me extremely happy.”
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Schlotterbeck also impressed on the offensive. He had the most ball contacts of his team (78) and initiated Julian Brandt’s goal with a clever change of sides. Schlotterbeck was defense chief and driver in one person, and in the absence of captain Emre Can he was also a worthy captain. He also recently impressed with the national team.
Schlotterbeck: “Can still achieve a lot”
It is remarkable that the national player is performing so well again. He only returned to the pitch four weeks ago after a long injury break. “I worked like an ox for five and a half months,” Schlotterbeck said after the Bayern game on Sky. “And it doesn’t come naturally to me to play every game over 90 minutes.”
He is physically fit and, if so “Now that I’m still getting the rhythm, I can go a little further. And then I think I can still be very good at the age of 25 and achieve a lot.”
Nico Schlotterbeck after the game against Bayern Munich
Contract with Borussia Dortmund runs until 2027
The question, however, is whether Schlotterbeck can also win titles with Borussia Dortmund. His contract runs until summer 2027, but there are already discussions about when and whether he will extend it. “The development with Niko (Kovac, editor) is a joy,” said Schlotterbeck. Under Kovac, BVB has recently been stable in scoring; the 2-1 defeat in Munich was their first defeat of the season. “If we play like we did in the second half, we can achieve a lot with BVB.”
Schlotterbeck’s achievements also make him interesting for big clubs from abroad – and also for FC Bayern. “I feel very comfortable in Dortmund and have no problem continuing on the path,” he said. “But of course it is a very important decision for me in my career.”
The next contract could be the most important and lucrative for Schlotterbeck. He left it open when he wanted to decide. “I will sit down with Sebastian (Kehl, editor) and we will work out a plan.”