WDR: New team spirit fuels BVB’s strong season | OneFootball

After their first defeat of the season, a 1-2 loss at FC Bayern Munich, BVB followed up by advancing in the DFB-Pokal against Champions League participant Eintracht Frankfurt. Alongside a strong goalkeeper in Gregor Kobel, Borussia impressed—not just in this match but throughout recent months—with a new sense of “togetherness,” according to WDR. This invites fans to dream.

At least, that’s how WDR sees it in their look at the situation at BVB ahead of today’s evening match at FC Augsburg.

This match brings a return to old stomping grounds for BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. Before his move from TSG Hoffenheim to Borussia Dortmund in 2019, the Swiss keeper was loaned to FCA, making 16 Bundesliga appearances there. Since then, he has greatly improved his standing in the Bundesliga, frequently topping Kicker’s semi-annual rankings for his position.

Currently, Kobel is once again in “absolute top form,” according to WDR. Against Eintracht Frankfurt, he shone not only in the penalty shootout by saving the decisive Frankfurt attempt, but had already proven his exceptional abilities several times earlier in the match. Kicker awarded him a grade of 1.0, and he was named player of the match.

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

Gregor Kobel in goal for FC Augsburg in 2019

Such an outstanding goalkeeper is one building block of BVB’s current upswing, but by no means the only one. Since the arrival of Niko Kovac as successor to the luckless Nuri Sahin, the spirit within the team has changed. The team is now described by WDR as a “close-knit unit.” The resulting successes, not least the DFB-Pokal triumph, have further improved the general mood in the dressing room. This atmosphere is to be maintained today with another Bundesliga victory.

Of course, the team is a bit tired after 120 minutes plus a penalty shootout on Tuesday. However, unlike hosts FC Augsburg, BVB goes into the match with the momentum of this small triumph, while Augsburg suffered a 0-1 defeat to second-division side VfL Bochum. If Kobel keeps another clean sheet, as he has already done five times this season, another victory would not be unlikely. Then BVB would continue what, according to WDR, they have already been doing as a convincing unit: playing a strong season in the shadow of FC Bayern Munich.

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