Borussia Dortmund

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Match:


			Borussia Dortmund - FSV Mainz 05 3:0 (1:0)

Season 2004/2005, Matchday 23, 26.02.2005 15:30

Matchreport

3-0: Smolarek, Koller and Ricken on target -
BVB win second straight home game

[26.02.] On a cold, wet Saturday afternoon Borussia Dortmund´s supporters had every reason to be proud of their team. After another week of bad news, BVB showed a spirited performance and defeated FSV Mainz 3-0 (1-0) in front of a 73.500 crowd at the Westfalen Stadium. Smolarek, Koller and Ricken scored the goals for the black ´n´ yellows.

Reporting from the Westfalen Stadium, Corinna Höptner

Scored the opening goal with his second goal of the season: Ebi Smolarek.

"We stick together come what may" BVB´s supporters on the South Stand chanted in the ninth minute, asking the rest of the stadium to sing the club´s anthem as a sign of loyalty to Borussia Dortmund. The players on the pitch thanked their supporters with a committed performance against Mainz. If only for a few hours, the team had given them something to cheer about again. And they chanted the German football anthem, "Oh, how beautiful it is..."

The Scenario:
Dortmund´s fine run of play in the second half of the season took a dent last week when they lost 5-0 to Bayern Munich. But before this match Bert van Marwijk´s side had vowed to stay optimistic. Their goal for this weekend: To put last week´s defeat out of their minds and continue climbing up the table with a win over Mainz. The visitors had only picked up one point and had scored only one goal in the second half of the season. After having a great run in the first season´s half, they have been running of steam in recent weeks. Mainz´ only goal for the rest of the season: To avoid relegation. Before today´s fixture they had been on 15th spot, four points clear of the relegation zone.

The Players:
Bert van Marwijk had to do without Otto Addo (thigh injury) and David Odonkor (minor groin and knee problems). Jan Koller, who had suffered a groin injury in Thursday´s training, returned to fitness in time for today´s game. After playing the second half last week against Bayern, Tomas Rosicky returned to the starting line-up, replacing Marc-André Kruska. Salvatore Gambino and Ewerthon returned from a lengthy injury, but both started on the bench.

Mainz 05 were without Michael Falkenmayer (match fitness), Dennis Weiland (back problems) and Robert Nikolic (Achilles tendon problems). Dimo Wache (back problems), Antonio da Silva (thigh injury) and Fabian Gerber (match fitness) were available again for coach Jürgen Klopp.

The Tactics:
The visitors from Mainz started with a 4-4-2 formation. Conor Casey and Ranisav Jovanovic up front were supported by Mainz´ attacking midfielders Fabian Gerber and Antonio da Silva. Guarding the back four, Hanno Balitsch and Christof Babatz filled the other two midfield positions. By the way, Gerber and da Silva, Mainz´ most effective attacking players in recent weeks, were successfully marked by Dede and Christoph Metzelder. BVB coach Bert van Marwijk didn´t change his tactics, and again opted for a 4-3-3. Rosicky, the only change to last week´s game, took on Kruska´s offensive role in midfield.

The Analysis :

Ebi Smolarek celebrates his first goal at home with the BVB supporters.

"We stick together come what may." Borussia Dortmund´s supporters pointed the way. In the ninth minute all BVB fans were asked to sing the club anthem to demonstrate that Borussia´s huge following remain loyal to the financially struggling club - ´come what may´. On 28 minutes, after a slow start to the game, the team repaid their fans´ support. With his second goal for Borussia, his first at the Westfalen Stadium, on-loan Ebi Smolarek put BVB 1-0 in front.

The striker tapped in a rebound after Ricken and Koller had both failed to score from a Dede cross. It was actually already Borussia´s third chance of the match against a tame Mainz team that didn´t create a single scoring opportunity in the first half. Kringe after six and Koller, who only hit the crossbar, after 24 minutes had missed to give BVB an earlier lead. Mainz goalkeeper Dimo Wache twice, on 34 and 37 minutes, then brilliantly denied Koller to double the advantage for the hosts. On 39 minutes Smolarek wasted another chance for BVB.

Always on top of the game: Sebastian Kehl.

Borussia Dortmund started the second half without Christoph Metzelder, who suffered a knock on his shinbone. The BVB defender was replaced by Guy Demel. Mainz began the second half with greater urgency. In the first six minutes after the interval Casey and Jovanovic wasted two good chances to level the score. BVB, on the other hand, were more ruthless and scored from their first chance of the second half. After Ricken´s header, from a Kringe cross, only found the crossbar, Jan Koller headed in the rebound to score his 11th goal of the season, and to put Borussia 2-0 up.

The second goal of the afternoon proved that BVB´s attacking players were on song. All three strikers were not only involved in the first two goals, but overall also played an outstanding game. Just like BVB´s midfield trio. Rosicky improved his performance by the minute, and, in a holding role, an aggressive Sebastian Kehl gave another spirited performance. And Florian Kringe, not only because he set up the second goal, was his side´s outstanding player once again.

Mainz coach Jürgen Klopp threw on two attacking players in the 62nd minute, but to not much avail. The visitors, however, had one last chance to pull one back on 72 minutes when Weiland and Abel failed to hit the target. Lars Ricken wrapped the game up for Borussia only two minutes later with fine long-range effort into the upper corner of the net.

It was a well-deserved win for BVB against the Bundesliga new boys who put in a tame performance and never looked capable of registering a surprise win at the Westfalen Stadium. The fans celebrated their team with standing ovations. If only for a few hours, the team had given them something to cheer about again.

The Prospects:
BVB have to play the next two Bundesliga games on a Sunday. Next week they travel to Nuremberg where they have only lost eight of 23 games, the last one in April 1992. Of the last five games they have won two and drawn three. The following Sunday Matthias Sammer will return to the Westfalen Stadium when BVB take on VfB Stuttgart.

Teams & Goals

Borussia Dortmund - FSV Mainz 05 3-0 (1-0)

BVB: Weidenfeller - Metzelder, Wörns, Brzenska, Dede - Kehl - Rosicky, Kringe - Smolarek, Koller, Ricken.
FSV Mainz 05: Wache - Abel, Friedrich, Noveski, Rose - Gerber, Babatz, Balitsch, da Silva - Jovanovic, Casey.
Substitutions: 46. Demel for Metzelder (injured), 87. Ewerthon for Koller, 89. Kruska for Rosicky - 62. Teinert and Weiland for Gerber and Casey, 82. Demirtas for Babatz.
Goals: 1-0 Smolarek (28.), 2-0 Koller (54., Ricken, Kringe), 3-0 Ricken (74.)
Corners : 4:4 (HT 3:0), Chances : 11:4 (6:0).
Referee: Dr. Felix Brych from Munich.
Bookings: Smolarek
Attendance: 73.500 Weather: Cloudy, 1 C.