BVB underlines its role as Bayern’s pursuer with a confident win against Mainz 05.
Coach Niko Kovac’s team won confidently 4-0 (3-0) against FSV Mainz 05. The Rheinhessen under Urs Fischer suffered another defeat after three wins, but remain above the relegation line for the time being.
In front of 81,365 spectators in the sold-out Dortmund stadium, Serhou Guirassy (10th and 42nd minutes) and Maximilian Beier (15th) ensured that Dortmund remained unbeaten at home this Bundesliga season with their early goals. Ramy Bensebaini also scored (84th). Julian Ryerson assisted on all four goals.
“We were very dangerous from set pieces today. We knew after the first half of the season that we still had potential. It often opens the door for us a bit,” said BVB midfielder Julian Brandt in an RTL interview.
“It was ablaze with every standard situation,” admitted Mainz sports director Niko Bungert on Sky. And coach Urs Fischer said: “We are disappointed with the way they played, especially in the first half. BVB did well. We didn’t.”
Mainz starts bravely, but Dortmund strikes early
Bensebaini moved into the defensive line for the suspended captain Nico Schlotterbeck, who had not missed a league minute since matchday 10, but he had traveled to the stadium separately due to health problems. Brandt took over the captain’s armband. On the other hand, Fischer decided not to make any changes to the starting eleven after the 2-0 win against Augsburg.
Mainz started bravely. But early on, visiting captain Silvan Widmer caused a free kick on the right corner of the penalty area by fouling Brandt. Ryerson brought the ball sharply in front of the goal, where Guirassy prevailed in the header duel and headed it into the left corner to take the lead. Just five minutes later, the incoming Beier nodded in another Ryerson cross to make it 2-0.
Third header goal, third assist from Ryerson
The visiting fans, colorfully costumed for carnival, who set the mood before kick-off with plenty of confetti in red, white, blue and yellow, saw a good chance through Silas (21′), who narrowly missed, and cheered briefly when Widmer (38′) beat BVB keeper Gregor Kobel with a low shot: However, he was just offside.
But because Dortmund continued to act extremely effectively, Mainz – who otherwise defended very compactly and did not show a bad performance – had to accept their third goal before the break. Ryerson took a corner into the penalty area, where Guirassy rose again and headed in from close range for a brace.
Mainz without penetration
After the break the momentum continued and both teams showed their offensive will. The home team did not rest on their comfortable lead and repeatedly came dangerously in front of the Mainz goal. Keeper Daniel Batz shone there, making three strong saves against Felix Nmecha (52′), Beier (55′) and Julian Brandt (57′) within a very short space of time.
After several changes on both sides, the pace of the game slowed down a bit. Mainz, who by no means looked like relegation candidates, were not dangerous enough in front of goal against Dortmund, who defended confidently. The fans who had traveled with us, who had presented a banner with “International Carnival Club” before the game, still celebrated wildly until the final whistle.
Head coach and management team happy after a landslide win
Economical, high-scoring and without conceding a goal: Borussia Dortmund’s (BVB (Borussia Dortmund)) managers were very satisfied with the way their team played after the confident 4-0 win against FSV Mainz 05. “We were very efficient today. Simply scoring four goals and not conceding any is good,” said BVB sports director Sebastian Kehl after the game.
Niko Kovac also seemed happy after the clear success on Friday evening: “We kept a clean sheet, which was necessary again after the last few games. I’m happy with the performance. Also with the way it was played,” said the coach, who was particularly able to celebrate goals from set pieces. The fact that Mainz goalkeeper Daniel Batz was repeatedly harassed and prevented from blocking was still a big issue even after the final whistle.
“I think a lot of goals come from set pieces. That’s why you have to include that in your repertoire. That can be a can opener,” said Kovac and added: “In the end, it’s an overload of the five-meter area – not only from my players, but also from the opposing players. It’s not just my players that hinder the opposing goalkeeper, but also their own.”
With the 15th league game without defeat in a row, Dortmund remains the first pursuer of FC Bayern Munich and is currently within three points of the record champions. The Munich team was able to extend their lead back to six points on Saturday afternoon with a win at Werder Bremen.
“Of course we can read the table. We now have 51 points. A very good value at this point in time. But it is February and there is still a lot to be achieved,” said Kehl, also looking ahead to the upcoming games.
A look at the tasks ahead
“The next few weeks are trend-setting, both in the league and in the Champions League. I hope that in two weeks we can view the situation as positively as we do today,” said 46-year-old Kehl on his birthday. Already on Tuesday evening (9 p.m.) BVB will play in the premier class against Atalanta Bergamo in the first of two duels for a place in the round of 16.
After the win against Mainz, Kovac was also already looking ahead to the important game next week: “It’s just win or fly. We have to make sure that we take this good result with us. But we also know that we have to go one step further in the Champions League,” said the 54-year-old. “With the result today, I hope that we can play a good game on Tuesday too.”
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