For neutral spectators it was a game to forget – but for Borussia Dortmund fans it was one with a happy ending. Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt took care of that in the 2-0 (0-0) win against VfB Stuttgart in the away game in the Bundesliga.
After Dortmund lost its chance to look up again late in the afternoon because FC Bayern Munich won at SC Freiburg (3-2) in the 99th minute, the sporting value of the top game was manageable for coach Niko Kovac’s team. It was completely different from Stuttgart’s point of view; with a win, VfB could have maintained their three-point lead in fourth place and come a week closer to the Champions League.
BVB shines defensively with Schlotterbeck and Anton
That’s how the hosts approached the game, coach Sebastian Hoeneß’s team dominated from the first minute. But she had the problem that BVB could show its great strengths this season under exactly such circumstances. While Stuttgart stormed, Dortmund defended well, with Waldemar Anton and Nico Schlotterbeck in particular clearing the crosses and attempts through the middle in spades.
This picture ran through the entire first half, BVB keeper Gregor Kobel only really had to show his class after a shot from Angelo Stiller (19th minute). VfB had 70 percent possession of the ball at the break, the shot ratio of 8:2 was also very clear – but it wasn’t particularly dangerous. The expected goals values for both teams were manageable at 0.52 and 0.12.
After the break, less happened between Stuttgart and Dortmund
Stuttgart worked on this value a little, and after 55 minutes Lorenz Assignon forced Kobel into a good save for the second time. Overall, it was noticeable that Dortmund made an effort to approach the game a little more offensively, even if that was initially limited to possession of the ball in safe areas of the field. After an hour of play, VfB completely took control of the game again.
But the Hoeneß team again lacked pace, while the BVB defense made no mistakes. So it was a game that, for neutral spectators, had nothing at all in common with a top game. There were no highlights at all, it was a 0-0 game after 90 minutes, the xG values only “increased” to 0.64 and 0.19. Then referee Robert Schröder surprisingly announced five minutes of added time – and in that time BVB suddenly woke up.
Dortmund’s Adeyemi and Brandt with the late double strike
After a counterattack, Adeyemi got the ball in the VfB penalty area and used his team’s first chance to make it 1-0 (90th + 3). Incredible: But that wasn’t it, as Brandt added two minutes later to make the final score 2-0. Dortmund had shown nothing forward for 92 minutes, but then suddenly turned up the heat in a phase when the game actually shouldn’t have been played anymore due to the lack of highlights.
What was problematic: BVB scored both goals in front of the Stuttgart fan curve and celebrated the two successes there in keeping with the late timing. This made some VfB supporters so angry that they left the stands and angrily approached the boards; a chair even flew onto the pitch. Only after the final whistle did the scene calm down and the BVB players celebrated a strange away win with their fans.
The two goals also had consequences in the table, Stuttgart lost third place to RB Leipzig and has to get back on the road to success next Sunday against Hamburger SV (5.30 p.m.). BVB is nine points behind FC Bayern and eleven points ahead of Leipzig and will most likely end the season as runners-up. On the next matchday, Dortmund continues on Saturday against Bayer Leverkusen (3:30 p.m.).
