No excuse for performance
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Coach Nuri Şahin was reminded of a bad joke, midfielder Felix Nmecha (24) at the time of the corona pandemic. Borussia Dortmund’s start to 2025 could hardly have been more unfortunate. “It was like a bad joke,” said Şahin about the completely crazy wave of illness and six short-term absences. “I felt like I was getting a message every hour that a player was out.”
BVB was unable to compensate for the fact that almost the entire defense was missing in the 2:3 defeat against double winner Bayer Leverkusen. The Dortmund team is in danger of slipping deep into the crisis right at the beginning of the year. The pressure before the game at Holstein Kiel is huge. The Revierklub absolutely has to win against the newly promoted Bundesliga team. However, the game will take place on Tuesday (6:30 p.m./Sky). There is hardly any time for rest and recovery.
Sahin on sick BVB players: “They’re all feeling so bad”
Nevertheless, everyone at BVB hopes that at least one or two top performers will be fit in time. But Şahin already dampened expectations: “They’re all doing so badly. I don’t have much hope for that. I would like to be positively surprised.” Looking at the defensive players Nico Schlotterbeck (25), Emre Can (30) and Waldemar Anton (28), he added: “Schlotti, Emre, Waldi – they are all tough dogs. They would all love to play.” But health simply doesn’t allow that at the moment.
With masks, distance and spatial separation, BVB is trying everything to contain the disease. “It was a bit like Covid again,” Nmecha explained. The national player also hopes that his colleagues will make quick progress and demands: “We have to win the next game to come back.”
Looking at the Leverkusen defeat – the first Bundesliga home game lost since April 2024 – Şahin did not want to use the high level of sickness as an excuse for the three early goals conceded. The personnel situation would certainly not count as an alibi against Kiel. Even with the currently fit players, BVB’s class has to be enough to win in the relegation zone. “That is far too easy – even in this constellation in which we will probably never play together again,” said Şahin.
BVB reinforcements through transfers?
To do this, Dortmund also need an improvement up front. Although the offensive midfield and the attack were virtually spared from failures, BVB lacked creativity and penetration. Dortmund hardly had any clear chances.
Borussia had a lot of possession of the ball and showed a high level of commitment, but goalkeeper Gregor Kobel (27) also stated: “In the end, we can’t buy anything from it. We have zero points.” The minimum goal of qualifying for the Champions League is already in jeopardy.
It is quite possible that BVB will add personnel on the transfer market in the coming weeks. How much money is available for new signings also depends on what happens next with Donyell Malen (25), who is willing to change. The Dutchman, who came on as a substitute against Leverkusen, is said to have reached an agreement with Aston Villa.
If Dortmund takes a decent transfer fee for the 25-year-old, that would massively increase the scope. Numerous names are being traded at BVB, from talents like Max Alleyne (19) to international greats like Marcus Rashford (27). But even if Malen were to be sold, high transfer fees, such as those that would be necessary for Kevin Schade (23) and Gonçalo Inácio (23), who were recently discussed by “Sky”, are hardly possible.
