"We need to shake off fatigue and take a deep breath"
Jürgen Klopp looked visibly pleased and above all relieved after Saturday´s game against Hannover 96. "I´m totally happy because we knew that it´s going to be a very tough game and that we don´t have the strength for 90 minutes," said the Dortmund coach at the post-match press conference. Now all eyes are on London.
Klopp´s analysis was spot on. Playing their usual attacking brand of football, Borussia Dortmund controlled the visitors in the opening 25 minutes, but as the game wore on they gradually seemed to run out of steam. "This was really hard work," said an exhausted Nuri Sahin after the game. Sven Bender, looking just as tired, shared the view of his teammate, saying, "This was really a tough game."
Due to the international break and the injury situation, only a few players from the Borussia Dortmund squad were able to train normally in the two weeks between the Mönchengladbach and the Hannover matches - and it showed on Saturday afternoon. Instead of breaking and attacking with speed and purpose, as they usually do, BVB looked tentative and often resorted to long balls to the front men as if they had left their quick, short and low passing game in the dressing room.
"This makes it all the more important that we started off with a win after the international break, even if our game lacked cohesion," said Sven Bender, a sentiment echoed by his coach. "We didn´t have the strength for 90 minutes, " said Klopp. And yet, the Dortmund coach saw mostly positives - apart from the three points. "It was a hard-fought win that reflects the problems of the last 14 days," said Klopp, adding, "We are happy." And with good reason because, as Klopp explained, especially for the players who only returned to training last week (Bender, Reus, Sahin, Hofmann, Schmelzer), it was important to get some practice.
Which is why Saturday´s game was treated by some players as a training exercise - an important one ahead of the important Champions League match against Arsenal. "This game will help us with regard to Tuesday, especially those players who only had two training sessions before the Hannover game. That´s why we will have taken another step forward when we play Arsenal," said Klopp whose team first "need to shake off fatigue and take a deep breath." BVB know that Arsenal will be a tough nut to crack. The Londoners are not top of the Premier League for nothing...