Dortmund disappointed after a strong start: second leg is on the brink!

Dortmund disappointed after a strong start: second leg is on the brink!

On March 8, 2025, Borussia Dortmund played against the OSC Lille in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The first leg in the Westfalenstadion ended with a 1-1 draw. The Dortmunders took the lead in the 22nd minute by Karim Adeyemi. Another possible goal from Pascal Groß, shortly before the half -time break, was not recognized due to an offside decision. Dortmund dominated the first half and hardly let Lille come to development.

However, the picture changed significantly in the second half. Dortmund left Lille more space and left the opponent the game. In the 68th minute, Hakon Haraldson equalized for Lille, which also clouded the Dortmund appearance in the second half. Coach Niko Kovac, who has been in office for a little more than a month, had to find after the game that his team had no access in the second half. "The team looked tired and inattentive," said Kovac. Adeyemi led the weak performance back to "heavy legs" from the last game, but did not want to accept this as an excuse.

analysis of the game

Dortmund had shown an effective way of playing in the first 45 minutes, with a fit of 84 percent. In the second half, on the other hand, fit fell to 71 percent, and the team produced only another shot on the goal. This led to an alarming weakness that was in a strong contrast to the first round. Before the game, Niko Kovac emphasized that the physique was an advantage for his team, but reality looked different. Dortmund, currently on the 10th place in the Bundesliga, shows signs of an identity crisis, since the squad needs an overhaul and several key players are not in top form.

The first leg ends with a tie that Dortmund does not give a clear advantages for the second leg in France. Kovac's pragmatic coaching style is supposed to help the players, but a balance between organization and the traditional offensive style of play from Dortmund has so far only been slow. In order to be successful in the second leg, Dortmund urgently has to improve his appearance.

The next game in the Champions League is already on March 12th when Dortmund will compete against Lille in France. In order to secure the progress in this competition, a better team game is essential.

The upcoming second leg remains a big challenge, since Dortmund is under pressure after these mixed services. The focus must now be on analyzing the mistakes from the first leg and winning back the combat strength.