SC Freiburg 5: 1: Borussia Dortmund gilded catch-up from Frankfurt
Borussia Dortmund has reduced the gap to leaders FC Bayern Munich to three points, at least for one night. At the start of the 19th matchday, BVB won 5-1 (3-0) at home against SC Freiburg. The goals were scored by Thomas Meunier and Erling Haaland, each in a brace, as well as Mahmoud Dahoud, for SCF traffic Ermedin Demirovic.
“We did a lot of things right and well today. The first half was great in all phases of the game, with good ball acquisitions and a really good positional play. We made good space, came up with two or three players and always had good ball acquisitions ” , said BVB coach Marco Rose after the game DAZN.
Despite only three points behind Bayern, Rose wanted to keep the ball low. “We always say that we want to be up there and bring the trophy back to Dortmund. But Bayern don’t give her much and we’ve been too inconsistent in many games. That’s why it’s just a matter of taking care of ourselves.”
The mood of the guests was completely different. “That was far too little, just a bad game from us. It’s extremely disappointing that we’re performing like this,” said a visibly pissed Christian Streich. “It was clear that you needed frustration tolerance against Dortmund – some players obviously didn’t have that. And if we’re not in a good mood, we have nothing to do with Borussia Dortmund. That’s what you have today.”
BVB against SC Freiburg: The analysis
BVB with the best half of the season! The hosts, who always had just under 70 percent possession of the ball, were always active and clear in their actions – with and without the ball. If the ball was lost, an outstanding counter-pressing took hold, which hardly allowed Freiburg to gain space. And then the Black and Yellows, whose passing game was always sharp and goal-oriented, scored twice a head after a corner, which is completely unusual.
In their 4-4-2 against the ball, the guests were quite deep and were mainly passive in the duels, so that Borussia often found space behind the SC full-backs on both wings. The Breisgauer could hardly get out from behind with the ball at their feet, these balls were gone just as quickly. In the end there wasn’t a real chance to score.
Freiburg, however, with the inclusion of Demirovic as a clear nine and the agile Schade alone in the first five minutes of the second half more dangerous than in the entire first. The parts of the team were now better connected, the distances smaller. SCF’s passing game bypassed Dortmund’s counter-pressing and it was easier to find the gaps.
BVB’s clear dominance decreased and the game became safer. After Freiburg’s goal to make it 1:3, both teams had opportunities for the next goal – not the first clear lead for Borussia, which suddenly became more uncertain. Dortmund finally uses a slight ball loss by the guests to make a decision.
BVB against SC Freiburg: The lineups
Dortmund: Kobel – Meunier (76th Wolf), Can (46th Akanji), Hummels, Guerreiro (71st Schulz) – Dahoud – Brandt, Bellingham (85th Witsel) – Reus (71st Hazard), Malen – Haaland.
Freiburg: Uphoff – Kübler, Lienhart, Gulde, Günter – Haberer (65 Keitel), Höfler – Sallai (65 Weißhaupt), Jeong (46 Demirovic), Grifo (46 Schade) – Höler (81 Petersen).
BVB vs. SC Freiburg: The dates of the game
Crack: 1-0, 2-0 Meunier (14′, 29′), 3-0 Haaland (45’+1′), 3-1 Demirovic (61′), 4-1 Haaland (75′), 5-1 Dahoud ( 86.)
- Erling Haaland has scored in each of his last eight Bundesliga home games (14 goals). Only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored in more home games between 2015 and 2016 (11).
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Dortmund lost only one of the 22 Bundesliga home games against Freiburg (18 wins, 3 draws): 0-2 in October 2001. Since then, BVB have won 13 wins and one draw in 14 BL home duels – against no other current BL team Borussia undefeated at home for so long.
- Dortmund has scored 31 times after the break this Bundesliga season – no team more.
- Haaland’s 4-1 was BVB’s 2000th home goal.
- Julian Brandt received his first yellow card since April 2014. It was only the yellow card in his 245th BL game.
The star of the game: Thomas Meunier (BVB)
The Belgian, who has greatly improved in form this season, paved the way for Dortmund’s victory with his two header goals. Also defensively with a decent performance.
The flop of the match: Jeong Woo-Yeong (SC Freiburg)
Like many of his colleagues, the offensive player was completely non-existent and had to stay in the dressing room after a weak 45 minutes. He played seven of his 14 passes to the opponent, also in the duels mostly second winner.
The referee: Florian Badstübner
Didn’t have the slightest problem with his 18th Bundesliga game.