Guerreiro goal not enough as BVB slip to 2-1 defeat in Darmstadt

The 17,400 spectators at a sold-out Jonathan-Heimes-Stadion am Böllenfalltor saw Terrence Boyd open the scoring (21). Raphael Guerreiro restored parity on the stroke of half-time (44), but Colak converted one of the Lilies' many chances to wrap up all three points in the second half (67).

The scenario:
"Now it's more of a mental battle as there is a clear favourite here," said Thomas Tuchel. The coach spoke in the run-up to the game of the ''expectations and pressure" a higher league position brings with it (4th vs 18th), and recalled several other matches in which BVB were favourites: ''We haven't coped well in such situations so far.'' Anything other than all three points for BVB would be a major surprise. The Lilies were without a win in 11 Bundesliga matches, with their last coming in a 3-1 victory over Wolfsburg on 22 October.

Personnel matters:
Coach Thomas Tuchel made a total of four changes from the team that beat Hertha BSC 3-2 on penalties in the last 16 of the DFB Cup for today's Bundesliga clash in Darmstadt. The 43-year-old replaced Piszczek (back problems), Schmelzer (knee), Bartra and Dembelé (both bench) with Ginter, Pulisic, Mor and 18-year-old Burnic - who was making his Bundesliga debut - in the starting XI. Reus had recovered sufficiently from a hip injury to begin the match. Furthermore, the Black and Yellows were without Sven Bender (torn lateral collateral ligament), Mario Götze (muscular problems) and Nuri Sahin (fitness).

Tactics:
Darmstadt lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation – but rather than sitting back, the men from Hesse looked to get the ball forward quickly, directly and easily to centre-forward Boyd using Rosenthal and pacey wingers Sam and Heller. BVB took to the field in a 3-4-3 system. Weigl and Guerreiro occupied the central positions in the four-man midfield, in front of a back three of Ginter, Sokratis and Burnic which was expanded into a four or five-man rearguard as Pulisic and/or Durm dropped back into defence when Darmstadt had the ball. At the break Tuchel switched to a 4-1-4-1 with Durm, Sokratis, Ginter and Burnic (left-back) in the back four, Weigl as the sole defensive midfield man and a four-man midfield of Pulisic, Mor, Guerreiro and Reus behind Aubameyang.

The match & analysis:
The roles were reversed in Darmstadt as the Lilies, who were thumped 6-1 by 1. FC Köln in their last home game, completely took BVB by storm in the opening stages and posed a particular threat through wingers Marcel Heller and Sidney Sam on the left and right flanks respectively. The first major opportunity came in the fifth minute when former Schalke player Sam played a free-kick from a centre-left position to Niemeyer, who picked out Boyd – but Bürki was on hand to save the American's header from six metres out.

Two minutes later Sam played a through-ball to Rosenthal, whose shot from a centre-right position beat Bürki but rebounded back off the right post, before Heller had a volley from inside the penalty area saved by the Swiss shot-stopper as Darmstadt went close for a third time (16). By this point the Black and Yellows had only won 29 percent of the tackles. The visitors continued to look half-asleep in the run-up to Darmstadt's opener, which came in the 21st minute when Heller cut the ball back to former Rasenballsport Leipzig striker Boyd, who stole away from four Dortmund defenders and finished comfortably.

The opener appeared to serve as a wake-up call for Borusisa, who looked more focused in the aftermath as they upped the tempo. The first chance was spurned by Reus, who was denied by shot-stopper Esser's foot in the 24th minute before hitting the woodwork with a free-kick shortly after the half-hour mark (32). Shortly before the break the Black and Yellows were rewarded: Esser, who had made a spectacular save from Aubameyang two minutes earlier, stood rooted to the spot as Guerreiro fired home the equaliser to round off a move involving Durm and Mor (44). The statistics were starting to make for more pleasant reading by this point, too: BVB were 7-6 ahead in terms of shots on goal, had won 50 percent of the tackles and enjoyed 60 percent of possession.

Impressive start to the second half but no chances

Though they may not have carved open any shooting opportunities in the first quarter of an hour after the break, the Black and Yellows had rejigged their formation (see above) and were beginning to look more agile as they upped the pressure on Darmstadt, who came close through Rosenthal in the 51st minute. But Tuchel's charges simply could not find the gap in the hosts' defence, prompting the 43-year-old to bring on Dembelé (62) and Kagawa (63) for Mor and Guerreiro.

But it was Dembelé who was dispossessed as Darmstadt took a 2-1 lead a short while later: Sam received the ball from Altintop and picked out Colak, who nutmegged Bürki to fire the hosts ahead in the 67th minute. The Croatian had the opportunity to extend the advantage three minutes later but was denied by Bürki, who saved the follow-up from Gondorf before Ginter cleared a Colak header off the line.

BVB had 23 minutes to find a way back into the game but, following their lengthy DFB Cup battle with Hertha in midweek, they simply did not have it in them to break down a stubborn Darmstadt defence. The statistics told the story: by the time the final whistle was blown the Black and Yellows had run five kilometres less than their hosts, while their worsening tackle win rate of 45 percent - in certain spells, 40 percent - was another reason for the defeat. Steinhöfer could have made it 3-1 in stoppage time but instead fired over the bar.

Prospects:
The fixtures are now coming thick and fast for BVB, who travel to Lisbon on Monday ahead of their UEFA Champions League last 16 tie against Benfica on Tuesday (20:45 CET). Their Bundesliga campaign resumes in one week, when they play host to VfL Wolfsburg. 

Teams & goals