Who would win in a game of football: an 11-man squad worth hundreds of millions of Euros and filled with World Cup starters, or one guy named Deniz? As it turns out, the answer is neither.
Borussia Dortmund
returned from the international break today, and for the first 45 minutes all seemed to be well. In the first half, BVB outshot Stuttgart 11-3, had most of the highest-quality chances, and most importantly, a 2-0 lead. Dortmund struck first thanks to a rather fortuitous penalty decision given, when Deniz Undav collided with Nico Schlotterbeck while both were going after a cross. Undav was penalized, and Emre Can dispatched the penalty. One can only wonder if Undav took that decision personally.
Just before the half, BVB made it 2-0 thanks to a very determined effort by Maximilian Beier. Serhou Guirassy’s initial shot was saved by Alexander Nübel, but Maxi Beier beat everyone to the rebound. His first effort was saved, but the ball bounced right back to him, and he tapped the ball into an open net. So Dortmund took a 2-0 lead into the half. They had been one of the best defensive sides in the Bundesliga. Surely they could make it stick, right?
Unfortunately, they could not. The first crack would emerge only a few minutes into the second half, when Deniz Undav scored a goal that almost defies belief. A header from Bilal El-Khannouss looped high into the air and Undav, with his back to goal and Emre Can breathing down his neck, just flicked his boot at the ball right as it came down. Somehow, this random jab struck the ball perfectly and sent it flying into the top corner. I think you really have to see it to understand how crazy it was:
Although an insurance goal eluded Dortmund as the second half progressed, it was not for a lack of trying. Carney Chukwuemeka has a curling shot that struck the post. Serhou Guirassy thought he had scored a goal, but was ruled offside. Unfortunately, it remained 2-1 until Undav equalized for Stuttgart. Angelo Stiller took a corner kick that looped over the box and found the head of Maximilian Mittelstaedt; his header floated back towards the net, where a flying volley from Undav helped it on its way into the net.
Once again, Dortmund had blown a 2-goal lead. Another choke job. Another bottle job. Unless Dortmund could score a third time, they would drop points again. But look, it’s Dortmund winger and melee weapons aficionado Karim Adeyemi! He’s charging through midfield, he’s got Finn Jeltsch beat, he passes to Beier, back to Adeyemi, he scores! Dortmund have their winnner!
… until Undav scored again moments later. You can’t make it up. 3-3, full time.
A “Tip-Your-Hat” Kind of Game
I’m tempted to really rip into Dortmund for blowing two separate leads, including one in stoppage time, but it’s not like the defending was that bad. Undav’s first goal was just an amazing finish. The defending on Undav’s second goal was definitely not good. Nobody marked him, while I counted at least seven BVB players who just watched the ball. On the third goal, while Nico Schlotterbeck probably could have held him tighter, he still did a good job putting pressure on Undav. He just happened to spin and fire a shot that deflected in the right way to trickle into the net.
So all three goals were terrific finishes. I’m not going to say the defending was perfect, but it wasn’t horrifyingly bad. Stuttgart didn’t generate a ton of chances outside of their three goals. Overall, the xG finished 2.91-1.48 according to FotMob, although that does count both shots for Beier’s goal. Dortmund were the better side overall, but Undav was a man on fire, and that was enough to earn Stuttgart a point.
Other Thoughts
- The “Serhou Guirassy needs rest” crowd is starting to win me over. He looked more and more off the pace as the game went on, and he had a few over-hit passes and crosses that struck me as indicative of fatigue. Despite this, he played the full 90 minutes.
- Before the international break, I wrote about how Maxi Beier needed to do more. Well, he did much more today, with a goal and an assist. I think his position as a left-wing-back where he can play off of a more creative player like Carney Chukwuemeka and be there to make runs off the ball suits his skillset much more than being a winger who is responsible for creating chances out of thin air.
- Overall, I liked what I saw from Jobe Bellingham. His passing was solid and he won a majority of his challenges.
Your Thoughts
What did you think of the game? Am I being too forgiving? Let me know your thoughts!
