Borussia Dortmund need to shake off Bayern loss now
After Borussia Dortmund's 4-2 loss to Bayern Munich, Edin Terzic faces the daunting task of uplifting a team whose bubble burst.
It was a different year, but the result was the same. Borussia Dortmund returned to the Allianz Arena not only empty-handed, but humiliated. A 4-2 win for Bayern showed once again that the Black and Yellows are not quite up to the level needed to dethrone the record champions.
Of course, BVB started the game well and things might have gone differently if it weren’t for Gregor Kobel’s unfortunate error that led to Bayern’s opener. Despite that, the way the Dortmund players responded to going down so early and in the manner that they did was unbefitting of professionals at their level. Once again, we are forced to question the winning mentality and desire of these players.
The problems at BVB are magnified when you hear Thomas Müller talk about how deflated the opponents were after the first goal.
This next part caught me off guard a bit - Bayern’s Thomas Müller said he was speaking to Dortmund players after the first goal, recognising how their mentality changed after Gregor Kobel’s mistake. @espnfc pic.twitter.com/LHsfUGs0SM
— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) April 2, 2023
Edin Terzic is now faced with the huge task of uplifting a team whose bubble burst. In the two crucial games of the season so far BVB failed miserably. They lost 0-2 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to get knocked out of the Champions League and surrendered the top spot in the league last Saturday.
But all is not lost. They have a chance to redeem themselves when they face RB Leipzig in the quarterfinals of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday, and there are still 8 games to play in the Bundesliga.
It's not just the team's morale that needs to be addressed, but also the way the team approaches big games. It's hard to recall a dominant performance from BVB in big games this season, despite their many wins in 2023, mostly against lesser opposition. The defense is always prone to errors and the midfield fails to provide the necessary protection.
In attack, the most consistent performer, Julian Brandt, has only just returned from injury and the other players have struggled to fill his shoes. Karim Adeyemi was just starting to find his feet when he picked up an injury. Sebastien Haller, who returned in the second half of the season after treatment for testicular cancer, has understandably struggled to break into the side. Marco Reus, no matter how many shifts he puts in, isn't the same player. The less said about the other attackers, the better.
Raphaël Guerreiro, who has been playing as a midfielder lately, has been BVB's best player of late. His contract is coming to an end, and he recently told beIN Sports that there have been no negotiations.
"It is fantastic to play for BVB, in this great stadium. I am very happy with my career in Germany, the stadiums are always full! At the moment, the club has not made any proposal," he said.
Ramy Bensebaïni seems close to signing for Dortmund, which puts the Portuguese's future in doubt unless the midfield role is seen as a permanent solution.
Jude Bellingham, arguably the most sought-after player at the moment, looked like the man to take BVB back to the glory days. He has had a solid campaign so far, but fatigue seems to have caught up with him in recent weeks as his influence on the game has diminished. Some BVB fans have even suggested that his head is elsewhere, and that may not be far from the truth given the way his name keeps popping up in the news cycle.
With problems on and off the pitch, BVB have a crucial few months to fight for trophies on two fronts. Their task has been made even more difficult by the news that Nico Schlotterbeck will be out indefinitely. But to achieve their goals, they need to put the Bayern game behind them and start anew.