Press review 1. FC Köln v BVB: "Uninspired display, workmanlike win" | OneFootball

Despite playing the entire second half with a numerical advantage, Borussia Dortmund narrowly wins against 1. FC Köln, but still manages to secure a 2:1 victory in the cathedral city. This is how the press analyzes the Saturday evening match, in which Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier scored the goals for BVB.

After a rapid start by Köln with 6:0 corner kicks, it was BVB who took the lead through Guirassy. Until then, BVB had not defended particularly well, but improved subsequently, reports the Sportschau from Cologne. The numerical advantage in the second half was no guarantee for a clear continuation of the game, because "Dortmund's strength under Kovac (...) is not necessarily playing with the ball." Nevertheless, BVB's individual quality cannot be denied – and that led to the second Dortmund goal. Overall, it was a "plain victory" for BVB.

The Welt saw the match similarly. BVB increasingly took control of the game after taking the lead, "without shining." 1. FC Köln fought against the defeat but was too harmless. "Dortmund did no more than necessary to secure the victory."

Photo: IMAGO

BVB Plays into Köln's Mistakes

The KSTA extensively covers the scene in injury time that sparked much debate. Yan Couto had the ball bounce off his hand in his own penalty area, but even with VAR, Köln did not receive a penalty when the score was only 1:2. Previously, Köln had "fought bravely," yet lost against a "weak BVB." At 1:0, Dortmund benefited from a terrible misplaced pass, and before 2:0, BVB managed a combination for the first time in the match. Ultimately, the "FC" punished themselves with foolish lapses, which of course included the red card for Simpson-Pusey. Conclusion: "Against this Borussia Dortmund, much more was possible. Even a win."

In the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Philipp Selldorf echoes this sentiment: "Köln would have deserved a draw, penalty or not. Their play wasn't brilliant, but their morale and fighting spirit were impressive. Something they clearly had over Dortmund." The hope that BVB would suddenly play football revealing the true abilities of its players without pressure in the title race was in vain. Possibly, the almost unchallenged second place in the standings without ambitions upwards leads BVB to a certain carelessness.

And the Kölnische Rundschau attests to FC a "great fight" and an "unfortunate course." BVB, on the other hand, appeared simply "uninspired" at 1. FC Köln.

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