Press review BVB vs 1. FC Heidenheim: Dortmund narrowly avoid embarrassment | OneFootball

In their fifth consecutive home victory, Borussia Dortmund had to struggle against the bottom-of-the-table team 1. FC Heidenheim to ultimately secure a 3-2 win after trailing. This is how the German press viewed and evaluated the Sunday afternoon match in Dortmund.

Coach Niko Kovac's approach was unusually daring this time. As a result, they had to tremble for the victory until the last second. "The Dortmund team didn't really deserve this success (…) not after this second half, in which BVB repeatedly lost control," states the FAZ. In the end, the audience witnessed a "twist-filled football match full of mistakes with five goals," virtually the antithesis of the football Kovac usually stands for. BVB also benefited from the lack of a consistent line from the referee in assessing penalty area scenes. Match-winner and double scorer Serhou Guirassy, who missed a penalty, is increasingly becoming the "drama queen" at Borussia.

Now BVB is the longest unbeaten team in the Bundesliga, notes the Stuttgarter Zeitung. 45 points at this point are the best haul in years. However, Dortmund's game "once again left much to be desired." It was a "struggle and strain," with the team acting "without any flair." Particularly noticeable: the sloppy passing and a chorus of whistles from their own fans during the temporary deficit.

Photo: IMAGO

Kovac sets BVB "unusually daring"

Because Heidenheim defended cleverly for a long time, BVB found it difficult to create scoring chances, reports the Sportschau. After falling behind at the start of the second half, BVB "wobbled alarmingly," relying mainly on luck, first not conceding more goals and second receiving a penalty for a handball. The until then again weak Serhou Guirassy converted it with luck as well. Yet even after Dortmund took the lead, Heidenheim had several chances to equalize. Since these were squandered, there was ultimately a "happy ending" for BVB.

The "near embarrassment" was avoided by BVB on a "crazy football evening," according to the WAZ. The home team did not play "like a title contender. BVB made many mistakes, the quality of passing was again in need of significant improvement, thus lacking speed and depth." In the second half, it was "end-to-end" in both directions. In the end, BVB saved the victory through the long added time and actually reduced the gap to FC Bayern to six points.

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