BVB in second place and checking the rearview mirror | OneFootball

“We're fighting, we're working hard for our victories. That’s an important quality when you're playing games like this. But my focus is clearly on the rear-view mirror for now,” was Niko Kovac’s honest evaluation after a somewhat fortunate but nonetheless deserved 3-2 victory over 1. FC Heidenheim, whose courageous performance was anything but that of a team at the bottom of the table. The statistics clearly favoured Borussia Dortmund: 20 shots to 12, 4.17 to 2.54 x-goals (i.e. the expected number of goals based on the quality of chances), 12:3 corners, 58% possession and also three kilometres more distance covered (BVB: 120.1 / FCH: 117.2) clearly favoured Borussia Dortmund – but Marvin Pieringer had two great chances to put the visitors 3-1 ahead, and Arijon Ibrahimovic and Mikkel Kaufmann had chances to make it 3-3 in added time. In the past, Borussia Dortmund might have let a game like this slip away.

On Sunday evening, however, the team held on to their 3-2 lead and reduced the gap to league leaders Bayern Munich to six points. However, the league leaders’ 34-goal superiority in goal difference means that the gap is effectively seven points. And that is exactly seven points (only) ahead of fifth place, assuming Leverkusen win their postponed match against HSV.

“There are still 14 matches to go,” emphasised Kovac: “I arrived on Matchday 21 last year, so I know how many points are still up for grabs. We’ve managed to jump from 11th to fourth place, and I know full well that the others will try to do the same. That’s why we’re earning points to keep the others chasing us.”

In a game that was “at times chaotic” in the second half (according to Nico Schlotterbeck), BVB initially let a hard-earned 1-0 lead slip away after Waldemar Anton’s goal in the 44th minute, and shortly after half-time they were 2-1 down after Julian Niehues scored twice in quick succession.BVB faltered (Pieringer could have made it 3-1), but they didn’t fall, they fought their way back. After an hour, there was a handball penalty – and unusual scenes between the now eternal lamenting and the execution. Nico Schlotterbeck, captain for the evening, grabbed the ball.

The regular penalty takers, Emre Can (ill) and Ramy Bensebaini (on the bench), were not on the pitch. Just before the spotkick was taken, Schlotterbeck handed the ball to Serhou Guirassy. It was a ploy, as Schlotterbeck hinted after the game in an interview with DAZN and Kovac later explained in more detail at the press conference: “Schlotti laid a false trail. Because often, when the kicker has the ball while everything is still being checked, dozens of opposing players run past, trying to influence and manipulate the kicker. Schlotti simply took charge and gave Serhou the peace and quiet he needed to take the penalty.”

Guirassy converted and made it 3-2 just 84 (!) seconds after a counterattack. But five minutes before the end, with BVB’s second penalty, the diversionary tactic didn’t work. Guirassy missed and was thus indirectly responsible for the turbulent final phase, which probably wouldn’t have happened had BVB taken a 4-2 lead. Guirassy was nevertheless the match winner, even if he no longer wants to take penalties in the future. “Penalties are over for me for now,” he said after his fifth miss in all competitions in the past 12 months. “Mister 100%,” Emre Can, should be fit again by next Saturday’s away game in Wolfsburg.Boris Rupert