Pre-Match Report
16 hours to Milan on the "Rheinblitz"
On 12 February 1958, Borussia Dortmund faced an Italian club for the first time in the European Cup. In the competition for national champions, the German title winners hosted AC Milan, the Italian champions. On a rain-soaked playing surface at the Rote Erde stadium, the Rossonieri played top-class football and were vastly superior to BVB under the floodlights. The Black & Yellows, weakened early on by injuries to Herbert Sandmann and Alfred Kelbassa and therefore only with nine men on the pitch, were only 1-0 down until the last minute. The last corner kick of the match, taken by Alfred Niepieklo, was headed by the Italian Bergamaschi into his own net - the match ended 1-1!
The second leg on 25 March 1958 was preceded by a 16-hour train journey on the "Rheinblitz" the day before, departing from the Dortmund main station at 8:38 am. Arriving exhausted in the northern Italian industrial metropolis shortly after midnight, the BVB heroes practically fell into their beds. The long day leading up to the game was a mere preview of the difficulties which awaited the Black & Yellows. Over 100,000 people flocked to the San Siro, with the atmosphere throwing BVB into an unfamiliar world. The Italian side opened the scoring and soon added a second to make it 2-0, but Adi Preissler reduced the deficit. Suddenly Borussia were close to equalising, but the legs got heavier and heavier as the match wore on. Milan ultimately scored to make it 3-1 then bring the final score to 4-1.
The team then travelled back to Dortmund by train. It will be a different story on Monday, when the current BVB team fly to Bologna in less than 90 minutes instead of 16 hours by rail. (flü)