Weak first half, outstanding second: Karim Adeyemi is emblematic of Dortmund’s successful style of play against Villarreal.
There has been a lot of talk in recent weeks about Dortmund’s offensive and BVB’s rather unimaginative approach. And anyone who saw the first half on Tuesday against Villarreal FC felt almost confirmed that the black and yellow sometimes lack a bit of creativity. In the end it was 4-0 – which showed the potential of the offensive, especially in the second half.
Dortmund with luck in the first half
This was already evident in the 3-3 draw against Stuttgart Borussia Dortmund indicates that it can definitely play differently than the weeks before with the arduous 1-0 successes in the league against Cologne and Augsburg or the meager 1-1 draw against Hamburg. “Of course we gave away points in the league,” admitted coach Niko Kovac, referring to the draws against Stuttgart and Hamburg. However, he then emphasized that it would have been even more important to show a reaction against the Spaniards.
Admittedly, this reaction was a mixture of a successful second half and luck in the first half. Because there it became clear once again that Dortmund definitely has problems with low-lying teams. If Tajon Buchanan hadn’t been offside in the eleventh minute, the evening might have turned out differently after Spain’s supposed opening goal. Instead, Seyrou Guirassy scored shortly before half-time to give BVB the lead. “The 1-0 win was very important because Villarreal is already a good team,” said Kovac.
Adeyemi excels after the break
Perhaps even more significant than this was Karim Adeyemi’s performance. The BVB winger, who had come under criticism, caused a lot of commotion off the field: Unauthorized possession of weapons, penalty notice and community service imposed by BVB had been the dominant themes. Adeyemi achieved little in the first half, but in the second he decided the game almost single-handedly.
So he forced the penalty before it was 2-0 because he really wanted to put the rebound in the goal – and was only stopped by Juan Foyth’s arm on the goal line. With a bit of luck and his knee, he even made it 3-0 before getting a second penalty with one of his attempts. His courageous performance earned him extra praise from Kovac: “That’s what he can do. If he puts everything together, he’s a world-class player.”
Dortmund faces a “double pack” against Leverkusen
Despite all the criticism of the first half and the various side battles, the fact is: BVB’s results are correct for a long time. Dortmund have only lost two competitive games this season – against top teams Bayern Munich and Manchester City. BVB currently has one of the best offenses in the Champions League with 17 goals – and has scored almost as many goals as in the Bundesliga after eleven match days. There are just 19 there. The defense works in the league with only ten goals conceded.
So Dortmund can do both, but apparently not always together. If BVB can consistently fit in this piece of the puzzle, it will be one of the best clubs in Europe. The next opponent also makes this claim. Now the next tough test is coming for the Black and Yellows nationally – in the league and then in the DFB Cup they face Bayer Leverkusen twice. Kovac sets the tone for this: “Leverkusen won against Manchester City. We are aware of the difficult task that lies ahead of us. But we are going there to win.”
Our sources:
- BVB game against FC Villarreal
- Borussia Dortmund press conference
- Sports show results pages
