After HSV shock, BVB chief Kehl fuming over late equaliser | OneFootball

After the late equalizer in Hamburg, tensions are running high at Borussia Dortmund. Sporting director Sebastian Kehl finds clear words and sounds the alarm.

Borussia Dortmund let a seemingly certain victory slip away in the Bundesliga clash at Hamburger SV. In the seventh minute of stoppage time, the Black and Yellows conceded the 1-1 equalizer—yet another late setback.

After the final whistle, BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl’s frustration was palpable. “The defeat on Wednesday (1-4 against Manchester City, editor’s note) also annoyed me, but today the 1-1 really gets to me. I’m really angry, and that’s why I’ll need a few days to process it,” said Kehl. “On Wednesday, we faced a completely different opponent. You have to accept that defeat to some extent, but today’s game is one we simply cannot give away.”

Dortmund took the lead after a goal by Carney Chukwuemeka in the 64th minute, before Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer scored the equalizer for HSV in the 97th minute. Kehl was clear in his assessment: “We have to accept some blame. After going 1-0 up, we stopped playing possession football. We were far too passive and made HSV strong again.”

BVB concedes late equalizer in Hamburg: Old problems in stoppage time

The problem in the closing stages is nothing new for BVB. Already on the first matchday, the team squandered a 3-1 lead at St. Pauli in the final minutes, and in the Champions League against Juventus Turin, a 4-2 lead also ended in a draw. Kehl therefore demanded a reaction: “When it comes to the number of chances we create, we want to develop. We don’t want to continue the way we played today.”

Coach Niko Kovac also expressed his disappointment: “We have to defend that better. We’re disappointed, we’re angry.” Despite the missed victory, BVB remains third in the table—seven points behind FC Bayern Munich, who also only managed a draw against Union Berlin. But while the competition also dropped points, the frustration in Dortmund was immense.

At least Kovac gave the all-clear regarding Nico Schlotterbeck: The defender suffered a cut on his foot but was able to continue playing. “He played through, so it shouldn’t be a problem, not even for the national team,” said the BVB coach, looking ahead to the upcoming international matches.

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