Dortmunder claimed a 3-2 victory in the top match in Sinsheim on Saturday afternoon. BVB had their hands full in the process, as coach Marco Rose also admitted.
“We started really well in the first few minutes. Then we became too passive, Hoffenheim are also very good players. We didn’t put enough pressure on them,” Marco Reus analysed on Sky after the match. Dortmund crowned a strong opening phase with the 1:0 through Erling Haaland, who had to be substituted in the course of the second half due to injury.
As the game wore on, Hoffenheim got better and better – the equaliser shortly before the break was logical. “It was a very intense game over 90 minutes, in which we started very well, had a very good ten, 15 minutes. We also scored a very nice goal. After that, Hoffenheim got stronger and stronger, got better and better into the game,” BVB coach Marco Rose said at the press conference.
Rose’s change is bearing fruit
The Borussians were no longer well in the game, so Rose made a double change in the 56th minute, bringing on Zagadou and Hazard for Wolf and Brandt. The change was accompanied by a system change to a five-man/three-man backline. “With the change to a five-man backline, things got better in the second half. Of course, it was a victory of effectiveness. We are happy to have won here,” said Reus, who made it 2-1 shortly after the change.
“We then changed things up, which was good for us, Hoffenheim didn’t get into the spaces the way they wanted to. We took advantage of this phase to regain the lead and add a third goal,” said Rose, pleased that his idea had worked. TSG came back to 2:3, but in the end BVB managed to hold on for the win. “We fought the victory home. It was a flattering victory for us, that has to be said. Hoffenheim played a strong game,” Rose praised the opponent.
Akanji: “That was a good step “
A less than optimal performance earned the Black and Yellows three points. It is precisely games like this that you have to draw if you still want to be dangerous to Bayern. “We have many games in which we play well. Then we have games afterwards where we don’t play so well. We simply have to prevent conceding goals too easily on days when we’re not playing so well and then take our chances,” demanded defensive man Manuel Akanji – and saw his team on the right path with Saturday’s game: “We’ve discussed that in the team. It won’t happen overnight, but today was a good step. After the short break, we have to continue.”
Dortmund’s next match will be at home against direct rivals Bayer Leverkusen on 6 February.
