'That was brutal': Kehl hails BVB saviour after Bilbao win | OneFootball

A BVB star saves his team during a critical phase of the Champions League. In the end, there is great jubilation – and special praise from Sebastian Kehl.

Borussia Dortmund continued its winning streak in the Champions League and defeated Athletic Bilbao 4-1 on Wednesday evening. For long stretches, Niko Kovac's team controlled the game, but after the goal that brought Bilbao closer, they began to falter – until Daniel Svensson's spectacular save made him the unsung hero of the evening.

Until the 61st minute, BVB had the match under control and gave Bilbao hardly any chances. But then Guruzeta capitalized on a defensive error by Niklas Süle and Waldemar Anton to make it 1-2 – suddenly Dortmund was shaky. Shortly after, the equalizer seemed imminent: Navarro narrowly missed, and then Guruzeta appeared ready to score after a one-two pass. But Svensson managed to poke the ball away at the last moment, preventing a sure goal.

"That was brutal. At that moment, you have to be there; that would have been 2-2. For me, that's like a goal," praised sporting director Sebastian Kehl of the 23-year-old after the match. Svensson had previously scored the opening goal, providing a "felt double" for the team.

Kovac and Kehl rave about BVB star Svensson

Coach Kovac also raved about his protégé before the game against Wolfsburg (1-0): "Daniel is amazing. He's like Gyro Gearloose. He has incredible capacities. A player who doesn't mind running 13 kilometers every third day."

Svensson himself expressed gratitude for the trust shown in him after the final whistle. "I'm happy to play so much and to be on the field all the time," he explained in the mixed zone. Fatigue is part of it, but he tries to "push as far as possible" and get the maximum out of himself.

With his goal and save, Daniel Svensson ultimately became the key player of the evening. Or as Sebastian Kehl put it: "We are satisfied with the performance; everyone goes home happy."

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