What a waste.
Dortmund had a pretty simple opportunity to make knockout round qualification for the Champions League much easier, but that opportunity has been wasted. You almost could have called it.
Two goals and significant control of the game, as well as some stand-out performances from players that haven’t always been on the field undone by, what exactly? Poor finishing? Bad substitutions? Mentality? It’s hard to necessarily pick one.
The finishing could have been better, sure. Silva missed a few,
Beier as well. Those opportunities, which seemed to be flowing in steady supply, really dried up late in the game and the missed chances became more and more painful in retrospect once the substitutes were on the field.
The substitutions were pretty miserable, but let’s break that down. You take off Silva and Beier who have been generating chances all game, but not necessarily putting them away. If Guirassy and Adeyemi, your “starters”, keep the pace and bring fresh energy, maybe they kill of the game. Tactical masterclass. But they didn’t, so the narrative becomes “why did the two best attackers leave the pitch?” It’s the “if it works you’re a hero” paradox.
But the substitutes WERE ABYSMAL. You could truly see Dortmund’s hold on the game wither away in real time. Now I’m going to get a little rash and angry, so take this for what you will. That performance from Guirassy was deplorable. Mistimed jumps, runs, passes. Poor awareness, lack of conviction. I mean what the hell are you here for? Big player wants to play in the big Champions League? Is that what you’re willing to offer? And Adeyemi who lost possession every time he saw the ball? These two cost Dortmund any chance of getting back into the game. Adeyemi probably at least cares and will beat himself up about it.
Mentality? I don’t know. The team is starved of creativity and the substitutes stifle every attack before it gets going. Do you blame Kovac? Maybe. He probably should have at least left Couto on instead of looking to an exhausted Brandt to keep the engine ticking. There was no goal creation on the field and Dortmund needed a goal. I will blame Kovac for not immediately getting Can on the field when Anselmino went down. Bodø/Glimt scored in the channel Anselmino was absent from! It’s the 80th minute, just take him off! Why do we need to wait and assess?? That’s not mentality, that’s brainlessness.
That was postcard Dortmund stupidity. Print it and ship it. You want to leave BVB to win trophies? Any of you? What did you do to get one while you were here?
Great game from Yan Couto.
