Press review Manchester City v BVB: “Almost a class apart” | OneFootball

BVB’s away game at Manchester City in the Champions League ended with a clear 1:4 defeat. This is how the press viewed Dortmund’s performance at the Etihad Stadium.

Everything from BVB’s side appeared “lacking in ambition,” at least until the quadruple substitution in the 67th minute. That’s why Manchester City was able to secure an “untroubled victory.” Niko Kovac’s team put in an “overall disappointing” performance, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. There had actually been hope for at least a strong defensive display. But in the duels, BVB was just as passive as they had been in the first half against FC Bayern. The team did show some morale, but in their attempt to come back, they acted “too indecisively.”

The WAZ saw a “highly one-sided match,” in which “there was almost a class difference.” BVB also “completely lacked bite.” The full-backs were overwhelmed, the defense often sloppy, and the offense was virtually non-existent for long stretches, according to the damning verdict on this performance, where it was clear early on that it would be a difficult evening for BVB.

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Kobel’s Saves Not Enough for BVB

An “uninspired BVB” was shown their limits by Manchester City, writes Daniel Theweleit in the FAZ. In the Champions League, they have now conceded eleven goals – only three teams have done worse. “It’s remarkable that there are still no signs of self-doubt or crisis in Dortmund,” because: “Dortmund hasn’t managed a truly convincing football match for quite some time.” Against opponents like Munich, Turin, Leipzig, or indeed Manchester, they hit their quality limits. Guirassy has often been able to mask the existing weaknesses. But if he’s in a slump, as he is now, nobody can step in. Fabio Silva, at any rate, has so far been a major disappointment. At least they still have to play FC Villarreal and Bodö/Glimt – both still winless in the CL.

According to Zeit, BVB’s previously strong defense has reached its limits. Gregor Kobel did at least show some good actions, and the team showed a lot of effort. But Dortmund was simply overwhelmed by Manchester City’s offense – and not just by Erling Haaland.

The tone is a bit more positive in Kicker, which credits BVB with some good spells in the game. They also “started the match wide awake.” But then Manchester took control, only easing off a bit after going 3:0 up. After Anton’s goal, however, the cutting edge was missing, and throughout the match, they were “at times overwhelmed.”

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