Sahin responds to criticism of formation change against Real Madrid

Borussia Dortmund were 2-0 up against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 55th minute when head coach Nuri Sahin decided to take off Jamie Gittens for Waldemar Anton and switch from four to five at the back.

Five minutes later, Real Madrid pulled a goal back, and the reigning Champions League winners went on to complete a stunning comeback to thrash Dortmund 5-2.

Sahin's decision to change formation was the subject of post-match criticism from Prime Video pundit Christoph Kramer, among others.

"The key in games against big opponents with a 2-0 lead is not to sit back too much. The key is possession. That's how you beat a top team. The key in games like this is always what you do with the ball. That wasn't good after the change of formation," Kramer said.

Explaining his decision, Sahin said:

"Of course it didn't work. But I don't think it was because of the change of system or the changes we made, but because we lacked control.

“We knew Madrid would press. But we allowed ourselves to be pushed back too much against the ball. If you lose in the end, the change wasn't right. You can say that afterwards. But it was clear that we wanted to reduce the gaps. Was it a matter of courage? I wouldn't say that."