„The defeat does not erase the 78 points we won in the Bundesliga“

The 3-4 penalty shoot-out defeat against FC Bayern did however still niggle the BVB players. They defended their own goal with great passion over 120 minutes, they did not concede - but they also did not score. Over the whole match and extra time the Black Yellows did not manage to get one shot on target on Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's goal, but they could have decided the game five minutes before the end of regular time through Aubameyang (85.).

In all respect to the performance that they gave, Thomas Tuchel could see the other side of the coin. He analysed it as follows: "we were too reserved in the way we started the match and in the way we defended. We lacked guts, conviction and sharpness for a long time in the first half. We were sloppy in the way we counter attacked, we didn't do many, many things right. BVB lacked "something" in terms of acting quickly, being alert, conviction and the way they portrayed themselves.

Captain Mats Hummels, who had to be substituted prematurely due to an injury he sustained in a challenge with Franck Ribery in his last match in the Black Yellow jersey, explained: "we really fought hard against Bayern, however we didn't get anywhere near to the maximum level we are capable of."

FCB were the dominant team with 16-9 shots on goal, 70 per cent possession and a successful passing ratio on 86-69 per cent. BVB President Dr. Reinhard Rauball said: "you cannot deny that they had a slight advantage when it came to being superior on the pitch and the chances they had. Looking at it this way the result "was justified in the end". But it was also bitter. Goalkeeper Roman Bürki explained: "a penalty shoot-out then comes down to luck and it is a bit of a psychological game." It was he who even managed to get Borussia to the "penalty lottery" by making great saves against Douglas Costa and also David Alaba. In the penalty shoot-out however he "only" managed to save Joshua Kimmich's penalty, whilst Sven Bender and Sokratis could not score from the spot for Dortmund. The Greek player said: "missing that penalty will stay with me for a long time. But I felt good, so I took the penalty."

„If you can learn and gain something from a game, then this was the game to do so"

And so it was another disappointment in the end. After 2013, 2014 and 2015 Black Yellow had to console themselves with second place again in 2016. Mats Hummels said: "walking past the Cup so near yet so far is like being stabbed in the heart every time." However the team must take credit for the fact that in all three finals against Bayern the referees definitely made some wrong decisions.

2013, in the Champions League Final (1-2), Franck Ribery elbowed Robert Lewandowski right in the face. There was no red card for the Frenchman, there was also no sending off for Bayern's Dante (no second yellow for when BVB was awarded a penalty). 2014, the Cup  Final (0-2 a.e.t.)  - the referee disallowed a perfectly good goal by Hummels. And this time Marco Fritz only showed Ribery the "yellow" card instead of the "red" card for grabbing Castro in the face and he even poked his finger into the eye of the Dortmund player. What would have happened if BVB would have been one man up for 51 minutes? It certainly would not have been a disadvantage for Borussia.

However the BVB family did not let this ruin their party to finish off a great season after the Cup  Final at the "Black Yellow Night" in the listed "Station" in the Berlin Gleisdreick. Thomas Tuchel said: "the defeat does not erase 78 points in the Bundesliga." It will also not be a barrier to the great enthusiasm all around BVB, who set a new attendance record, were the only team to remain unbeaten at home in the Bundesliga and who have become a real serious rival to FC Bayern. So this meant that BVB boss Hans-Joachim Watzke's summary was positive: "If you can learn something from a game and gain something from it, then this was the game. We can leave Berlin with our heads held high." (fu)