3-0 win in Augsburg leaves Borussia on the brink

Boris Rupert reporting from Augsburg

Göz Atın

Only Brandt nets for BVB in 1-1 draw with FSV

“The unsatisfying end to an unsatisfactory first half of the season”

Two completely different halves

The approximately 5,000 Black & Yellows among the 30,660 spectators at a sold-out WWK-Arena saw one-way traffic towards the FCA goal. Augsburg kept the game at 0-0 for a long time despite a sending-off in the 38th minute and a first-half shot count of 17-1 – in part because Süle’s header and Can’s shot from distance struck the upright (40/54). It was not until the 59th minute that Haller scored the all-important opener, which he followed up with another goal to make it 2-0 six minutes from time. Brandt added a third in stoppage time.

The scenario:  
Prior to kick-off, FC Augsburg occupied 14th place in the table with only a two-point cushion over the relegation play-off place. Borussia Dortmund had one point and 17 goals fewer than FC Bayern Munich, who had lost 3-1 against Leipzig the previous evening, ahead of the penultimate matchday. Even though BVB’s last two visits to Augsburg (1-1, 1-2) had not ended in victory, the Black & Yellows boasted the far superior overall record (14 wins, six draws and three defeats) and had taken 70% of the possible points against FCA (64% away).

Personnel matters:
The absence of Bellingham (knee problems) forced Terzic to change the team that had recently beaten Wolfsburg and Gladbach by 6-0 and 5-2 scorelines respectively: Guerreiro assumed the Englishman’s position in midfield. Duranville, who only turned 17 days ago, made the squad for the first time.

Tactics:
Augsburg lined up in a 4-2-2-2 formation and kept the centre compact. The attacking midfielders Engels and Demirovic operated centrally – rather than in wide positions – behind the centre-forward duo of Yeboah and Beljo. Instead, the full-backs occupied the wings in an attempt to build the play cautiously and with minimal risk. BVB played as usual in a 4-3-3 formation with Can increasingly dropping between the centre-backs in possession. They looked to play with width. Both full-backs ventured far forward.

The match & analysis:
“We want to see Dortmund win!” The 5,000 BVB fans in the stands set the tone and the team went forward from the beginning. Brandt shot from distance with five minutes on the clock, Wolf went for goal from a narrow angle (8) and Adeyemi unfortunately did not make proper contact with the ball on the penalty spot (10). It was an intense match from both teams in which the home side waited for the Black & Yellows to make mistakes and posed a threat going forward twice in the first period – without getting a proper shot away, however.

A Hummels pass with the outside of his boot towards Brandt initiated the first big chance after 21 minutes, but Haller was denied by the outstanding reactions of Koubek, who threw his arms up and prevented the opener. Can then played a brilliant ball into the path of Brandt, whose shot from outside the penalty area was blocked by the keeper as he came off his line (33). The statistics read 12-1 shots and 6-0 corners with 10 minutes of the first half remaining – by which point there were only nine outfield Augsburg players on the pitch. Malen broke through and was hauled down by Uduokhai, who was red-carded (38). Guerreiro curled the ensuing free-kick towards Süle, whose header hit the post.

Dortmund’s 17 shots was their biggest tally in one half of a Bundesliga game since 2013. The pressure became even greater in the second period. Augsburg defended compactly in 4-4-1 in front of the own box, while BVB searched for the gaps. Guerreiro went for goal from 16 metres as a result but fired narrowly wide (52). Can hit the post from 22 metres shortly afterwards (54). It was a power play.

Haller showed his class in the 59th minute. Malen’s cross was not properly dealt with by central defender Bauer and the BVB striker stole in before firing the ball into the back of the net off the inside of the left post from a narrow angle to make it 1-0. But it would have all been in vain had Kobel not made an outstanding save to deny Cardona four minutes later! A counter-attack almost presented Adeyemi with the chance to make it 2-0 directly afterwards, but Koubek came out in time; his clearance struck Adeyemi and went out of play.

Augsburg invested a lot of aggression into a match that at times became wild instead of BVB maintaining their control. Brandt shot at goal from 18 metres with eight minutes to go, forcing Koubek into a save. The next attack all-but sealed the victory, however: Malen played a lovely ball from the edge of the box into the path of substitute Reus, who was denied by Koubek from an unmarked position. The ball landed at the feet of Haller, who simply had to slot the ball into the empty net with his left foot (84). Hummels had to be substituted in stoppage time with blood on his face. Brandt increased the advantage to 3-0 in stoppage time after Schlotterbeck had won the ball back.

Outlook:   
Borussia Dortmund will welcome 1. FSV Mainz 05 to a sold-out SIGNAL IDUNA PARK in the final game of the 2022/23 season on Saturday. All the fixtures on Matchday 34 will kick off simultaneously at 15:30 CET.

Teams & goals

Bundesliga Matchday 33
FC AUGSBURG 0-3 (0-0) BORUSSIA DORTMUND

FC Augsburg: Koubek – Pedersen (Colina, 46), Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Veiga – Dorsch, Rexhbecaj (Berisha, 62) – Engels, Demirovic (Maier, 84) – Yeboah (Bauer, 40), Beljo (Cardona, 62)
Bor. Dortmund: Kobel – Wolf, Süle, Hummels (Schlotterbeck, 90+2), Ryerson – Can – Brandt, Guerreiro (Reus, 80) – Malen (Reyna, 90+2), Haller, Adeyemi (Özcan, 72)
Substitutes: Klein, Caligiuri, Bazee,  Mbuku – Meyer, Schlotterbeck, Moukoko, Modeste, Passlack, Duranville
Goals: 0-1 Haller (Malen, 59), 0-2 Haller (Reus, 84), 0-3 Brandt (Schlotterbeck, 90+4)
Corners: 3-9 (0-6 at half-time), chance ratio: 1-8 (0-3)
Referee: Welz (Wiesbaden), red cards: Uduokhai (professional foul, 38), yellow cards: Beljo, Gouweleeuw, Demirovic – Can, Adeyemi, Wolf
Attendance: 30,660 (sold-out), weather: sunny, 23 degrees