BVB v Athletic Bilbao: dominant, then a nervy finish | OneFootball

In the end, it was a clear 4:1 victory for Borussia Dortmund over Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League. However, BVB had to withstand a period of pressure from the visitors. This is how the press saw the match.

In the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Ulrich Hartmann points out the courage of coach Niko Kovac to change the recently successful team in five positions. However, he could have known that he could also rely on the players from the second row. What was delayed though: "Dominant, but not too dangerous in front of goal, Dortmund completed the first half. Only after the restart did the Borussians become more compelling." When they gave Bilbao too much space after two own goals, they suddenly became dangerous. But BVB survived this pressure phase, achieved a "deserved victory", which makes the prospects in the CL look quite good again.

The Tagesspiegel lets the dpa summarize: "The Dortmund fans see a dominant game of their team for a long time. After a defensive mistake, they then have to tremble - before it becomes clear after all." Unlike the 4:4 in Turin, BVB this time did not let the victory slip away despite anxious minutes after Bilbao's consolation goal. They are "fully on track" in the Champions League. The "strongly performing" Karim Adeyemi for weeks and the long concentrated defensive work in the team are highlighted. The next opponent of the Borussians is FC Copenhagen with ex-BVB player Moukoko on October 21.

Photo: IMAGO / Jan Huebner

BVB Coach Kovac's courage is rewarded

It only got hectic in the game for a short time, because the phase after the consolation goal reminded too much of the squandering of the lead at Juventus. But this time it went well, writes the WAZ. For a long time, BVB was as dominant as in Mainz. Only the equalizer gave Bilbao the momentum that made BVB wobble. Since the team recovered in time despite the many changes, a clear victory was the result in the end.

At the FAZ, one is surprised about the "amazing paradox" that BVB represents. Its special offensive qualities - no team scored more goals in the CL - are not even due to star striker Serhou Guirassy. Dortmund not only has the currently most dangerous, but also the most versatile offense. The successes, however, are based on the serious work against the ball, which is a novelty at BVB in recent times. The team works "tactically homogeneous and with high intensity in all phases". The extensive rotation, on the other hand, was often not possible in the past due to too many injured or out of form players. This new quality, the "state of inner balance", still seems fragile. But at the moment, a lot fits together.

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