What a waste.
Dortmund had a fairly simple opportunity to make qualifying for the knockout rounds for the Champions League much easier, but that opportunity was wasted. You could almost have called him.
Two goals and significant control of the game, as well as some standout performances from players who haven’t always been affected on the pitch by, what exactly? Bad finish? Bad substitutions? Mindset? It’s hard to necessarily choose one.
The finish could have been better, for sure. Silva missed some, and Beier too. Those chances, which seemed to flow steadily, really dried up late in the game and the missed opportunities became increasingly painful in retrospect once the substitutes were on the field.
The substitutions were pretty miserable, but let’s break that down. You take away Silva and Beier, who have been creating chances all game, but not necessarily wasting them. If Guirassy and Adeyemi, their “starters”, keep the pace and bring fresh energy, perhaps they will finish the game. Tactical master class. But they didn’t, so the narrative becomes “why did the two best attackers leave the field?” It’s the paradox of “if it works, you’re a hero.”
But the substitutes WERE ABYSS. You could really see Dortmund’s dominance of the game fading in real time. Now I’m going to get a little angry, so take this as you will. That performance by Guirassy was deplorable. Jumps, runs, mistimed passes. Little awareness, lack of conviction. I mean, what the hell are you here for? Does the great player want to play in the big Champions League? Is that what you are 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 punish himself for it.
Mindset? I don’t know. The team lacks creativity and the substitutes stifle any attack before it gets going. Do you blame Kovac? Maybe. He probably should have at least left Couto on instead of waiting for an exhausted Brandt to keep the engine running. There was no goal creation on the field and Dortmund needed a goal. I’ll blame Kovac for not immediately putting Can on the field when Anselmino went down. Bodø/Glimt scored on the channel where Anselmino was absent! It’s the 80th minute, get it out! Why do we have to wait and evaluate? That’s not mentality, that’s stupidity.
That was postcard stupidity from Dortmund. Print it and send it. Do you want to leave BVB to win trophies? Any of you? What did you do to get one while you were here?
Great game by Yan Couto.