In what state of mind will Edin Terzic’s men present themselves against Paris Saint-Germain? Given the insipid performance delivered by their team, Borussia Dortmund supporters have cause for concern four days before a shock in the Champions League semi-final. Traveling on the pitch of RB Leipzig for the 31st day of the Bundesliga, its direct competitor in the fight for fourth place synonymous with qualification for the C1 next year, the BvB bit the dust, severely beaten on the river score of 4 goals to 1. In this meeting which will have kept all its promises with regard to the offensive spectacle offered by the actors on the meadow, the Ruhr club will have only had an illusion for half an hour.
Despite a sluggish start to the match symbolized by numerous ball losses, the BvB led the debates against the run of play with a flash of genius from Jadon Sancho, author of a splendid strike from the corner of the penalty area for score his 2nd goal this season in the Bundesliga (20th). If at the moment Dortmund felt they had done the hardest part in this meeting by opening the score, we should hardly underestimate the reaction capacity of Leipzig who immediately got back on the scoreboard thanks to Loïs Openda (23rd) . Before the break, Benjamin Sesko followed suit by exploiting a ball released by Gregor Kobel, in front of Marsupials who were apathetic on this action (45th + 3). Having created more opportunities than their opponent without really gaining possession of the ball, the Saxon club placed the BvB in a delicate situation when it was time to return to the locker room.
Dortmund loses Mats Hummels and sees fourth place slip away!
If Dortmund demonstrated in recent weeks that their defense was their main quality, it was shattered after returning from the locker room. Taking advantage of a yellow and black rearguard completely at bay from the start of the second half, Leipzig hit the nail on the head through Mohamed Simakan (46th). Uninspired offensively like a lonely Niklas Füllkrug in attack, overwhelmed in midfield, Dortmund was never able to make ends meet and completely fell through. If Gregor Kobel, author of a big save in front of Openda (74th), for a time avoided a shipwreck for his team, he only postponed the deadline when Christoph Baumgartner increased the score to validate the demonstration of his (80th). Thoroughly beaten, it was with a crestfallen face and eyes glued to the ground that Marco Reus’ partners returned to the Red Bull tunnel at the final whistle.
Fifth, Borussia Dortmund is now significantly behind RB Leipzig by 5 points, comfortably placed in fourth place three days before the end of the season. More than ever in bad shape in the race for the Champions League, Dortmund also lost an executive in the battle, namely Mats Hummels. After collapsing to the ground in the 51st minute, probably the victim of a muscle injury, the 35-year-old defender was forced to give way to Niklas Süle, supported by a member of the medical staff and his face eaten away by the worry. While awaiting medical examinations, the German international (78 caps, 5 goals) risks having to give up the duel against the Parisians next week. With the high probability of having to deal without one of its captains of a yellow and black defense which showed its limits this afternoon. “We have to manage the game today. Then we will use everything we have to fight against PSG on Wednesday. And for that, we need a good atmosphere. In the end, we need euphoria from outside. We need our stadium”expressed the sports director of the BvB, Sebastian Kehl, on the antennas of Sky Sports. In other words, Dortmund finds itself under pressure and will quickly have to pull itself together to avoid sinking in the Champions League semi-final…
