VfB Stuttgart is punishing Dortmund’s fearful football, and at BVB the talk of crisis is likely to start again after the 2-0 defeat.
Hans-Joachim Watzke suffered in the stands with his arms folded and a stone-faced look as his BVB frighteners stumbled into ruin with discouraged underdog football. The skyscrapers of VfB Stuttgart punished a despondent Borussia Dortmund mercilessly and deservedly defeated them 2-0 (0-0) in the round of 16 of the DFB Cup. The defeated Watzke also knew that the defeat for BVB was minor.
While VfB can dream of a fourth cup win in this form, the guests’ first goal of the season is gone – and the talk of a crisis is likely to start again. In front of national coach Julian Nagelsmann, goalkeeper Serhou Guirassy (54th) and substitute Silas (77th) scored for Stuttgart.
“It was lacking at the front and back,” said Dortmund captain Emre Can on “ZDF,” “we weren’t strong enough in the duels, a footballing catastrophe, not good against the ball at all. We are Dortmund, there has to be more! We have to get together, things can’t go on like this.”
It was the first cup success over Dortmund in 25 years, also in the round of 16 (3-1). Borussia’s Jamie Bynoe-Gittens was just offside when he supposedly scored to make it 1-1 (60′). BVB boss Hans-Joachim Watzke watched the bankruptcy visibly upset with his arms crossed and a stone-faced look in the stands.
In front of 54,200 spectators in the sold-out MHP Arena, VfB tried to “actively defend forward” with the dual leadership of Guirassy and Deniz Undav, as coach Sebastian Hoeneß said. That worked, BVB was tied in their half. There Borussia entrenched themselves in the style of an underdog in the 5-4-1 system.
Captain Emre Can, whom coach Edin Terzic had withdrawn to the center of defense, blocked a first shot from Guirassy (7th). “Stand compactly, create switching moments and be dangerous with a lot of speed,” said sports director Sebastian Kehl, describing the idea. Terzic brought in the fast Karim Adeyemi and Youssoufa Moukoko.
BVB has to change early
The latter had to leave the field injured after Marcel Sabitzer Latte hit the crossbar (20th). Sabitzer’s aluminum test was an exception: Dortmund lacked a real idea when in possession of the ball. VfB was more dangerous, for example through Undav (24th/43rd) or Atakan Karazor (45th+2).
With the restart, BVB’s injured Marius Wolf and Marcel Sabitzer also had to go down. This didn’t change anything about the game system. After Mats Hummels lost the ball, Can saved again against Guirassy (48th), then goalkeeper Gregor Kobel was there against the Guinean (52nd).
The VfB lead was a matter of time: after the pass from the strong Enzo Millot, Can and Nico Schlotterbeck came too late and Kobel got the ball through his legs. The “huge opportunity” for Dortmund to be able to play for the title with the remaining Bundesliga clubs Leverkusen and Gladbach, as conjured up by Kehl, was hanging by a thread.
Kobel prevented Millot from making it 2-0 (58th). Only now did the guests wake up and make the game a little more open. Guirassy also missed the next possible VfB goal (69th), Silas, who came on as a substitute six minutes earlier, did a better job.