Challenger Borussia Dortmund has mastered the second tricky pitfall thanks to a late comeback in the hunt for the longed-for championship. Coach Edin Terzic’s team won 3-1 (0-1) at the rebellious SC Freiburg and got off to a good start for the first time in three years with two wins in the first two games. BVB temporarily took the lead in the table and put Bayern under some pressure.
Jokers Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (77′), Youssoufa Moukoko (84′) and Marius Wolf (88′) turned the game around in the second round, Michael Gregoritsch (35′) put the Breisgauer, who were superior before the break, in the lead. After the last two home wins, Christian Streich’s team went bankrupt against their feared opponent. Dortmund turned up the heat decisively in the second round and thus earned the success.
“Freiburg demanded everything from us, they were just better up to 1-1,” said Nico Schlotterbeck, who switched from SC to BVB in the summer, on “DAZN”: “There’s still room for improvement, we have to defend as a team – offensively we have a brutal quality.”
After the last two home wins, Christian Streich’s Freiburg team went bankrupt against their feared opponent. “It’s extremely bitter. With a bit of luck we could have scored the second goal,” said Freiburg’s Matthias Ginter: “In the end you could already see Dortmund’s quality on the offensive.”
Terzic had warned his team about an “extremely dangerous” opponent. “We have to be ready to counter it,” demanded the 39-year-old. He ordered Nico Schlotterbeck into the starting XI just 83 days after his last competitive game for the Sport-Club, and Modeste was also allowed to play from the start a few days after his move from 1. FC Köln.
In front of 34,700 spectators, a fast-paced encounter developed in which both teams looked for playful solutions. There were initially few clear chances to score, as both defensive lines were very grippy in the duels. Donyell Malen (4th) on one side and Maximilian Eggestein (10th) on the other side remained harmless with their long-range shots.
Wolf comes to the break for weak Meunier
Then Gregor Kobel had to save once in dire need from Gregoritsch, who was ready to score (17 ‘), otherwise it was a game between the penalty areas. Modeste initially looked like a foreign body, but out of nowhere he suddenly failed from the inside left position by Mark Flekken (23rd). After half an hour, the prank elf took command.
Kobel scratched a free-kick from Vincenzo Grifo out of the corner with his fingertips (34′), but then he was powerless when Gregoritsch shot the ball after ex-Dortmund player Matthias Ginter played it down. A little later Gregoritsch prevented Grifo’s possible 0:2 when he got in the way of the Italian’s flick (41′).
At the break, Terzic brought in Wolf for Thomas Meunier, who was overwhelmed against the strong left Freiburg side. The runners-up now got more train in his offensive game, Mo Dahoud (55th) hit the side netting from 25 meters. But otherwise, accuracy was still lacking in the last third, the tactically very variable sports club remained uncomfortable defensively and dangerous offensively via counterattacks.
Roland Sallai (65′) tested Kobel again from the edge of the penalty area before Gregoritsch (69′) left the supposed match point completely free. With the substitution of Moukoko, Borussia then started the final offensive 20 minutes before the end.