Exactly one week ago Dortmund had comfortably dispatched Leverkusen at home: things looked rosy as the Black and Yellows kept up with mighty Bayern’s pace on top of the league and sealed their fifth consecutive league win.
Now, two matchday later, it appears BVB suddenly found some unforeseen sand inside their attacking machinery.
As we have come to know Thomas Tuchel’s Dortmund, the home side got well off the mark and quickly imposed their dominant passing game onto Darmstadt. The latter, however, had been set up formidably to stifle BVB’s forays just before the deadly pass could be threaded through, rendering Dortmund’s offensive play fairly hollow.
This set the tone for the entire first half. It was a sight all too familiar for Dortmund fans, who experienced an unwanted throwback in time to some of last year’s woeful performances. Fittingly enough, Darmstadt were able to exploit Dortmund’s naive performance after just a quarter of an hour played, when they launched a swift counter attack and Marcel Heller volleyed in a sharp cross in style.
A bewildered Dortmund side subsequently struggled to regain their composure and in spite of a lot of possession seemed to lack the makings to persistently penetrate Darmstadt’s last line.
A stern half time talk later and Schwarzgelb finally stepped up their game just fast enough to successfully outplay the guest team twice and seemingly turn the fortunes around at the Westfalenstadion. It was – to no one’s surprise – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who netted another two goals for his side but also missed multiple sitters afterwards to once and for all put the match past the opposition.
Ultimately, as every so often in football, the squandered chances came back to hurt BVB. Harmless Darmstadt thundered a free kick into Dortmund’s box in extra time. A failed clearance and wild scrap later and the ball spilled to the feet of Darmstadt’s Aytac Sulu, who effortlessly scored the equaliser.
Formations
Coming off the back of a midweek encounter, Tuchel had reinstated what spectactors conceive to be coach’s favourite starting XI. Goalkeeper Roman Buerki and the defensive line unchanged while Julian Weigl alongside Ilkay Guendogan in holding midfield. Marco Reus, Shinji Kagawa and Henrikh Mkhitaryan filled the numbers in attacking midfield as Aubameyang led the line as the lone striker. This time around, Tuchel stuck to the 4-2-3-1 lineup throughout the match and later subbed off a disappointing Reus in favour of Adnan Januzaj around the hour mark. It was a cunning swap. Januzaj played a vital role in the (temporary) turnaround that ensued, notching up his first assist when he set up Aubameyang’s 2-1.
Borussia Dortmund XI (4-2-3-1): Burki (GK); Ginter, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer; Gundogan, Weigl; Reus, Kagawa, Mkhytarian; Aubameyang.
SV Darmstadt lined up in a defensively compact 4-5-1 formation that was spearheaded by striker Sandro Wagner. Defensive midfielders Jerome Gondorf and Peter Niemeyer dropped extremely deep whenever Dortmund reached the final third of the pitch, effectively supplementing the defensive row as centre-back number five and six.
SV Darmstadt 98 XI (4-5-1): Mathenia (GK); Diaz, Caldirola, Sulu, Garics; Niemeyer, Gondorf; Rausch, Rosenthal, Heller; Wagner.
Darmstadt did not waste breath attacking through the centre
BVB centre-backs Mats Hummels and Sokratis thus far have gone from strength to strength. Dortmund’s centre looks impenetrable this season, which so far has been touted as one of the main reasons for the Black-and-Yellows’ emphatic return to the top.
It is safe to say the news had made it all the way to Darmstadt prior to the encounter, as it looks suspiciously as though the Die Lilien’s gameplan included refraining from attacking Dortmund’s centre altogether.
Where Dortmund has racked up a plethora of incisive, short passes (right in front of Darmstadt’s box), Darmstadt’s passing map reveals a gaping hole in the same spot at the other end of the field. By the same token, almost all passes dispatched from midfield have either been directed at the left or right wing. In other words, Darmstadt have effectively not once played a straightforward attack but always slowed their play 30 to 40 yards in front of Buerki and deliberately dispensed the ball wide.
Not only does it prove how aware opponents are of Dortmund’s blind spots, it also bears fruit. Every chance, including Heller’s that made it 1-0, slipped through Dortmund’s defence from the left or right flank.
Newly promoted Darmstadt outwrestles BVB away from home
Another stat that will make Tuchel frown is the much-room-for-improvement 32% successful tackles rate. Darmstadt, one would assume still unweathered in Germany’s first flight, by way of contrast, got out on top of almost every second challenge launched.
That is to say a shocking two out of three Dortmund attempts to either keep or get hold of the ball fell through.
While BVB notably struggled to physically put Darmstadt in their place, the visitors in turn clearly enjoyed their role as the gritty, hard-edged underdog. Die Lilien‘s Peter Niemeyer probably embodied that spirit best, defiantly limping over the pitch with a head bandage and black eye until his coach eventually managed to talk him off the field due to the swelling around the eye impairing his vision.
Dortmund have lost their cool in front of goal
Beside the defensive flanks, Dortmund’s biggest concern right now should be their nerves in and around the opponent’s box. For reasons seemingly inexplicable, gone are the days where BVB’s attacking department would score at will in calm and skilful fashion. The strikers around Aubameyang recorded a copious 16 shots on and off target, a solid number on the face of it. Nonetheless with the exception of the two goals, no other finish really seemed forceful enough to trouble Darmstadt’s Mathenia. This is damning considering the attempts were all let off from promising positions rather than being tentative goes from the distance. It is equally frustrating for the supporters since the goal conversion rate looked to become BVB’s strong suit this year.
Conclusion
Tuchel is going to have to revert to the trend of ‘late in no time’ if he wants his team to have the realistic chance of stealing points in Munich next Sunday. It is the biggest away game Dortmund face this season and a sub-par Dortmund effort will produce another disheartening result. Conversely, it might be an apt time to vie for three points with big Bayern – a surprise upset would turn the ship around for BVB.
Coach Dirk Schuster will be extremly pleased with his side grabbing probably unscheduled points yet again after their suprise win in Leverkusen. The Lilys find themselves in the bottom half of the table with 10 points in the bank. Next up is Mainz at home, where they are going to give their all to keep the momentum going.
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