Reactions to the 4-1 win over Bilbao: "Everyone goes home happy tonight" | OneFootball

After the 4-4 draw at Juventus Turin, Borussia Dortmund also scored four goals on the second matchday of the Champions League, which were enough for their first three points and a 4-1 home win against Athletic Bilbao. However, the course of the game, especially in the second half, was not as clear as the final score suggests, as BVB officials and players unanimously admitted afterwards.

"We controlled the game in the first half, but in the second half we were a bit too passive, gave the ball away too quickly, and wobbled a bit," said Niko Kovac, referring to the phase in the middle of the second half when the match was on the verge of turning.

His five changes compared to the 2-0 win at the weekend against 1. FSV Mainz 05 were nothing unusual for Kovac: "We really have a very good squad in terms of depth, and you need that when you have to play every third day. That's why it's good that we rotated today. By the way: Bilbao made six changes. That's part of modern football."

Kehl praises overall development

Nico Schlotterbeck, who also started on the bench, was ultimately "happy about the win" and also satisfied that they managed to regain control of the game in the closing stages: "The first goal we've conceded in a long time is unfortunate and annoying. A 2-0 lead is a dangerous result. You feel safe, but then they started to play, they had nothing left to lose. They played better in the second half than in the first. In the end, we managed to see it out confidently."

While Daniel Svensson, who became a key figure with the opening goal and a crucial clearance at 2-1, spoke of a "hard-fought victory," Sebastian Kehl highlighted the generally positive development, which, according to the sporting director, also brings a responsibility: "We have only one defeat in the last 18 competitive matches. That shows we are on a really good path, but we have to continue working well, especially off the ball."

Against Bilbao, Kehl saw a "well-deserved victory" and drew a satisfied conclusion: "In between, we had a phase where things were a bit shaky. But overall, we are satisfied with the performance, and I think everyone is going home happy today."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.