“I’ll take the blame”: Kobel self-critical after Bellingham red card | OneFootball

After Borussia Dortmund's 1-1 draw in Freiburg, one scene is particularly in focus. BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel takes responsibility for the red card against Jobe Bellingham.

Borussia Dortmund let a potential away win slip through their fingers in the 1-1 draw at SC Freiburg. The decisive moment came shortly after the break, ending with Jobe Bellingham being sent off with a red card. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel clearly took responsibility for this.

Until the 53rd minute, BVB appeared stable and dominant. Dortmund largely controlled the game and allowed very little. However, an inaccurate pass from Kobel initiated the game-changing situation. The Swiss goalkeeper attempted to start the play with a flat pass to Bellingham, but the ball was too short. Freiburg's Philipp Treu intercepted, and Bellingham, as the last man, could only intervene with a foul – the red card was the logical consequence.

Kobel showed self-criticism after the final whistle. “I need to play him a better pass so he doesn’t commit that foul. I take that on myself,” said the 28-year-old in a DAZN interview.

Red card for Bellingham as a turning point in BVB's game

Previously, he had the impression “that he had a lot of space, that it would work,” the BVB keeper further explained. In a numerical disadvantage, Dortmund increasingly struggled. Freiburg took advantage of their superiority and equalized with a stunning goal by Lucas Höler in the 75th minute. Kobel even prevented worse with several saves.

Accordingly, the conclusion at BVB was disappointing. “If the red card doesn’t happen, the game looks different,” emphasized Kobel, pointing out that his team had “allowed very little” up to that point. Captain Emre Can assessed the situation soberly and simply said: “It happens.”

Besides the individual game situation, Kobel also addressed the high workload of recent weeks. After the Club World Cup, international matches, and numerous midweek games, it is now about maintaining concentration and finishing matches more consistently. In Freiburg, this was only partially successful – also due to a scene for which the Dortmund goalkeeper took responsibility.

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