Matchreport
1-2: Klopp sent to the stands, Weidenfeller sees red - Hummels injured, Aubameyang hits the bar...
Borussia Dortmund suffered their first defeat of the season this evening. Having chalked up seven wins on the trot in all competitions, last year´s finalists went down 2-1 in a tough game against the Italian league leaders SSC Napoli in their first group game of the Champions League. The game pretty much went against BVB from the start and ended with Klopp in the stands, Weidenfeller sent off and Hummels injured!!
Nils Hotze and Boris Rupert report from Naples
The San Paolo stadium was anything but a pulsating cauldron with 55,000 (including 1800 BVB fans) as the visiting fans made themselves heard early on, however events on the pitch soon contrived to change the mood as Subotic, having received treatment on the sidelines, was not allowed back onto the field before Higuain opened the scoring for the home side. Klopp, having made his views about the decision clearly known to the 4th official was sent to the stand and then had to watch as his centre-back, Hummels, had to leave the field just before the break with a trapped nerve in his back. With the defence all at sea briefly, Weidenfeller was lured from his box to make a challenge which was adjudged as handball and saw red. Having played an hour with ten men BVB eventually conceded a second goal but not before Reus and Aubameyang had gone close to equalising. Insigne it was, with an unstoppable free-kick, who scored that crucial goal but BVB would not lie down and Reina had to be at his best to deny Reus before at the death BVB had their efforts rewarded courtesy of an own goal by Zuniga who turned a Reus cross into his own net on 87 minutes
The Scenario:
Hans-Joachim Watzke had said before the game against SSC Napoli, "The Champions League isn´t really a league.. it is more like a cup competition because you have to be at it from the start." Napoli came into the game having won all of their three league games while BVB knew that they had only won four of twelve fixtures on Italian soil albeit two of those being the most recent against Udinese and AC Milan in 2008 and 2003 respectively.
Personnel Matters:
Jürgen Klopp made one change to his side from the weekend thrashing of HSV with Aubameyang making way for Kuba. Subotic was able to start which was good news because Sokratis had joined Kehl, Piszczek and Gündogan on the injured list.
Tactics:
BVB opted for, yes, you´ve guessed it... 4-2-3-1 which was matched by their hosts. It was the first time coach Benitez had tried this system having favoured a 3-5-2 formation up to this point.
The Game and Analysis:
Both sides were happy to play cautiously for ten minutes but then the game caught fire as both sides went for it with passion and commitment. Napoli started better and on 13 minutes, Insigne slid a chance beyond Weidenfeller but also beyond the far post. Just moments later Weidenfeller had to be at his best to deny Higuain, this time with his foot. Higuain was a threat and two minutes later Subotic had to stretch to deny the striker as he stormed through.
Napoli were so like an on-form BVB in the first twenty minutes, forcing the ball high up the field and attacking with fast, accurate passing. Gradually, though, BVB came into the game to subdue, at least temporarily, the seething crowd.
On 26 minutes Lewandowski burst between the two centre-backs but was denied by the onrushing Reina in the Napoli goal. Soon after Subotic had to leave the field to have a cut attended to.
He had barely returned from treatment when Weidenfeller was reaching into his net to retrieve the ball. Schmelzer was beaten by Higuain in the air and the ex-Real Madrid man duly notched up his second in three games to give Napoli the lead just before the half hour mark.
The stadium was literally rocking now as if the nearby Vesuvius was erupting and soon it witnessed Jürgen Klopp being sent to the stands as BVB´s coach remonstrated with the fourth official about the late re-introduction of Subotic following his treatment.
But that was just the start as the game gathered pace... Now it was fast, hectic and dramatic! Hummels had to leave the field on 42 minutes. With Aubameyang replacing him, Bender moved back to allow Kuba and Sahin to form the central midfield partnership. But then, just three minutes later Kuba had to go off too! Not through injury, but because Weidenfeller had been shown the red card for handling the ball outside his box as he rushed out to deny Higuain (again!) and Langerak had to come on to replace him.
So, BVB down to ten men, had had a half to forget!
Mkhitaryan began the second half always dropping deep to fetch the ball but with a man down BVB found it hard to get the ball forward safely. Napoli, for their part, kept pressing to force home their advantage and while Langerak did well to deny a fine effort from Inler on the hour, he was only able to grope air as the same man rifled home a free-kick from 25 yards. What a fantastic strike!
Borussia didn´t give up, though, and as the Italians naturally focussed on safety first Aubameyang thundered a shot against the bar on 70 minutes. Reus, too, had a chance to score but lifted his effort over the bar.
Jonas Hofmann came on with 14 minutes remaining and the lad was soon testing Reina while at the other end Langerak made a fine double save to deny Mertens, then Pandev, then Hamsik. And it so nearly meant something!
Memories of the Malaga miracle were awoken when a Reus cross was turned into his own net by Zuniga with three minutes to go and a couple of minutes later Reus almost scored with a free-kick that brought a flying save from Reina. Following that scare, Napoli shut up shop.
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Prospects:
Borussia Dortmund meet Olympique Marseille at home on 1 October in their next Champions League group game. Before that they travel to Nuremberg on Saturday and face Freiburg on 28 Sept in the Bundesliga. A week on Tuesday they play 1860 Munich in the German (DFB) Cup.