Match Report
From 1-0 to 1-2 - BVB defeated in Augsburg
Boris Rupert reporting from Augsburg
In front of the 30,660 spectators in a sold-out WWK Arena, Donyell Malen took the Black & Yellows into an early lead (4.), but the goal only galvanised the host team, who equalised after 25 minutes with a goal from Claude-Maurice. His second goal in the 50th minute gave them a 2-1 lead, which they maintained until the final whistle.
The scenario:
The seven points the Swabians had gained so far this Bundesliga season were won in front of a home crowd. There was a similar discrepancy in the BVB results (12 points from home games, one from away games). BVB had scored 12 goals in their four home games and only two in their three away games. Of the 13 away games they had previously played at Augsburg, BVB had won seven and lost only two.
Personnel matters:
Adeyemi, Duranville (both with thigh injuries), Reyna (groin), Süle (syndesmosis), and Couto (glute) were not able to play. With one exception (Anton replacing Süle), it was the same starting eleven as in Madrid. Junior players Campbell, Wätjen, Mané, Kabar and Lührs joined the experienced Meyer, Groß, Beier und Can on the bench.
Tactics:
Augsburg used a compact 5-3-2 formation when defending, and a 3-4-2-1 formation when in possession. In the phase between their early concession and the equaliser, they applied a high press. Dortmund played as usual in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with the full-backs not playing as far forward as they had in the game in Madrid or against St. Pauli.
The match and analysis:
BVB got off to a dream start. Malen had space on the right in midfield, and passed to Brandt, who passed to Guirassy on the edge of the box. As he had in Madrid, Guirassy demonstrated his brilliant vision and passed to Malen, who had moved up. Malen took a shot from 11 metres away and hammered the ball into the net, making it 0-1.
Augsburg responded with a high press and provoked numerous mistakes in the Dortmund defence, though they didn't get any dangerous shots on goal at first. But after 25 minutes the hosts equalised. It started with BVB losing possession while they were on the attack. Claude-Maurice stormed unchallenged down the midfield and took a shot at 25 metres away. Kobel couldn't get to the ball in time and it went into the bottom left of the net.
Borussia didn't make anything of the 20 or so minutes when they were leading, and subsequently, with a high level of possession, now had to go up against a tightly packed defence. They only managed to get through with long balls at the intersections - after a long pass from Schlotterbeck I, Brandt was stopped at the last minute by Schlotterbeck II (34.) - or with attempts from a distance: Sabitzer's attempt narrowly missed the left post (42.).
Anton, who was struggling to drag himself across the pitch in the last few minutes of the first half, did not return to the pitch after half time. He was replaced by Can in central defence. Sabitzer was also replaced by Groß. This time, the Augsburgers got off to a better start. Can unsuccessfully tried to clear Rexhbecaj's cross from the left and it ended up at Claude-Maurice's feet, who flicked the rebounding ball into the right corner of the net from 13 metres away to the left of the goal (50.). Two minutes later, Tietz missed a pass from Onyeka by centimetres within five metres of the goal - otherwise it could've been 3-1.
Groß' shot from 17 metres away after almost 60 minutes was the first shot for the Black & Yellows in the second half. But it took until the 70th minute for things to finally heat up again in the opposition's penalty area. First Gittens was stopped by Labrovic, and then Malen's header was cleared for a corner. At this stage, Ryerson was also no longer on the pitch. After he went off injured, Can Bensebeini, Schlotterbeck and Kaber formed the line of four.
In the final fifteen minutes, BVB ramped up the power. Augsburg did all they could to try and prevent any kind of game flow. Gittens narrowly missed the goal (80.), and Augsburg seemed tired, bringing on two fresh players, and a further three shortly after that. There were nine minutes of added time. But against the passionately defending Augsburg players, Dortmund couldn't get into the spaces they needed to get a shot on goal.
Outlook:
On Tuesday at 20:45 (CET) BVB will be playing their third away game in a row, against VfL Wolfsburg in the DFB Cup. After that, there will be two home games: the Bundesliga game on Saturday next week (18:30 CET) against Leipzig, and the Champions League game the following Tuesday (21:00 CET) against Sturm Graz.
Teams & Goals
Bundesliga, 8th match day
FC AUGSBURG – BORUSSIA DORTMUND 2:1 (1:1)
FC Augsburg: Labrovic – Matsima (82. Bauer), Gouweleeuw, K. Schlotterbeck – Wolf (75. Koudossou), Onyeka (82. Maier), Jakic, Giannoulis – Claude-Maurice (82. Kabadayi), Rexhbecaj – Tietz (75. Essende)
Bor. Dortmund: Kobel – Ryerson (68. Kabar), Anton (46. Can), N. Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini – Sabitzer (46. Groß), Nmecha (63. Beier) – Malen (88. Campbell), Brandt, Gittens – Guirassy
Bench: Dahmen, Mounié, Breithaupt, Kömür – Meyer, Wätjen, Mané, Lührs
Goals: 0-1 Malen (4., Guirassy), 1-1 Claude-Maurice (25.), 2-1 Claude-Maurice (50.)
Corners: 3-5 (2-2 at half-time), Chances: 3-4 (1-1)
Referees: Haslberger (St. Wolfgang), Second yellow card: Kabar (90.+9, repeated foul), Yellow cards: Giannoulis, Tietz, Gouweleeuw – Bensebaini
Spectators: 30.660 (sold out), Weather: cloudy, 11 degrees