Press review, VfB Stuttgart – BVB: “Strong at the back, blunt up front” | OneFootball

BVB’s 2–0 win over VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga’s marquee clash has generally left the press puzzled. How could Borussia Dortmund win this game after failing to register a single shot on target until the 90th minute? You can read the various explanations – and descriptions of the match – here.

“Toothless, sluggish, successful” is how Spiegel sums up the “uninspired display” at the MHP Arena. It says the performance was “uninspired” for a long time, offering only “slim pickings” until the 90th minute. It could not even be called a hard-fought win, because BVB had done nothing for the game. On the other hand, Stuttgart’s attack was largely neutralized, especially Deniz Undav by Nico Schlotterbeck – which is why there were hardly any notable passages of play to describe. The runners-up spot is now all but secure for BVB.

By contrast, Welt believes VfB Stuttgart were very much the team setting the tone. From the start, the Swabians controlled proceedings, but struggled to create attacking danger. Whenever Waldemar Anton got on the ball, the former Stuttgart player was booed, which helped the hosts no more than the fact that there had been “virtually nothing to see” from BVB’s attack apart from the two late goals.

Photo: IMAGO / STEINSIEK.CH

BVB defense “faultless” against VfB

Despite their “clear superiority,” VfB still had to concede defeat to Borussia, the FAZ also notes. Over the full 90 minutes, BVB had barely taken part in the game at all, except through a solid defense. Stuttgart applied “enormous pressure” at times, but lacked the final determination in front of goal. After the break, BVB made the match a little more open, but overall they had “badly disappointed” until the goals arrived.

The Sportschau takes a slightly different approach in its report. According to it, BVB put in a “strong defensive” display, which Adeyemi and Brandt polished off at the end. Even so, or perhaps because of that: “For neutral viewers, it was a game to forget.” Seventy percent possession in the first half brought VfB just 0.5 xG, while BVB managed only 0.12. And it got even worse: “Even less happened after the break.” Stuttgart lacked pace, while BVB remained faultless. The two goals arguably should never have happened, though: after a lifeless second half, there had been no reason for five minutes of stoppage time.

The kicker describes the second half in similar terms: “Until the closing stages, it felt like absolutely nothing happened at all, which could also be taken as a compliment to both defensive lines.” The logical outcome should really have been a 0–0 draw. But thanks to its bizarre ending, the match did eventually produce a winner.

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