Cold. Bland. Uninspiring. You may struggle to get it down, but that old morning brew still does the job at 3pm. Dortmund did just that on this Friday away game at Augsburg, securing the three points as
planned. And Guirassy, who had been on a six game scoreless run, got the goal. Beyond that, the squad gave little indication they were at the top of the table, and this 1-0 win feels more lucky than deserved. In a match that Sandro Wagner had to deliver a result, Augsburg likewise hardly offered anything either, making it a truly dreary affair. As harsh as I will be below, the nature of this match, at least for BVB, is likely more to do with Wednesday’s 120 minute battle against Frankfurt than a reflection of BVB’s current state. A win is a win in the end, I suppose.
No-Fun Football First Half
Feeling sympathetic to their hosts recent plight in the league, Dortmund decided to play a miserable first half that fashioned little in the way of football, let alone enjoyment for the dedicated viewer (Don’t they know how difficult it is for us North American’s to make time for this game?). Fouls were high, shots were low, and chances were non-existent. Some may check the scoreline and say, but what about Guirassy’s goal, scored in the 37th minute? To that the astute watchers will reply that it was only an unfortunate Augsburg clearance that struck fellow player Noahkai Banks and led to an even more unfortunate deflection straight into Guirassy’s feet. The total xG of the first half was 0.47 across both teams, with that goal providing 0.15 of it. At least Guirassy officially exited his goal scoring slump.
And Make it a Double!
You’d think that after that display, Kovac would get the squad to play like they wanted to challenge Bayern for the title. You’d be wrong. There really isn’t too much to talk about in this second half, especially since I tuned out the majority of it. Like the first half, it was full of wayward passes, half-hearted runs, and scrappy fouls. Dortmund remained toothless, and while Augsburg pressed and did get some attacks into the final third, nothing really came of it. The substitutes did little to change the situation, with Kovac evidently realizing no more goals were really forthcoming and instead opting to batten down the hatches. Bellingham had some good defensive tackles, shame one of them was because of his own mistake. Adeyemi might have had a goal at the very end, but despite being fresh off the bench and one of the fastest in the league, he was beat to the ball by Matsima. 1-0 it is.
The Future
The team is not perfect, this was a fact that many of us knew at the start of the season. The first two months have whitewashed this for a while, Dortmund was playing fine football and getting both the results and the satisfaction. This game did more than the Bayern match to highlight the weaknesses in the squad. A lack of creative players and a dependency on an inform Guirassy were on full display here. They struggled to breakdown the deep-lying Augsburg defense, and if it weren’t for some dumb luck, this game would have had the scoreline it deserved, 0-0.
Another playmaker is needed for this team, especially with the toil of multiple back-back matches. Brandt was lifeless this game, whether from a form slump or aching muscles from the Pokal. Substitutes are needed to replace his skillset in cases like this, ones who can weave passes through defense’s and provide an equally dangerous goal threat. As good as he can be, I’m still uncertain as to whether Chukwuemeka falls under this category. When the winter window opens, it would not hurt for the management to keep their eyes peeled for some potential reinforcements here.
I know I singled out the attackers for most of the criticism, but the midfield wasn’t much better either. Defense did well containing Augsburg, but that is hardly an impressive achievement. In all, it wasn’t a “sound the alarm” sort of match, but rather an eye-opener. If the team wants to threaten big bad Bayern, a bit more work might be needed, that’s all.
Your Thoughts?
Do you disagree with the above? Was this game just a result of some tired legs, or are these institutional problems that may rear their ugly heads in a more dangerous matchup?
