Post-Match Report
A sequence from the drawing board and a subtle matchwinner
Compared to the 2-1 away win in the league at Leverkusen the previous weekend, Niko Kovac made just one change to his starting line-up: Yan Couto replaced Julian Ryerson. And the Brazilian had arguably his best game on the Black & Yellow right wing to date. He was instrumental in both goals: providing the assist for Julian Brandt's opener and then the cross which Felix Nmecha laid off for goalscorer Nico Schlotterbeck to make it 2-0.
“A textbook attack,” was how kicker magazine described the opening goal shortly before half-time. Until then, both teams had fought a gruelling battle, with both sets of players having already covered well over 60 kilometres. Julian Brandt admitted that it had not been “the most enjoyable game, with all the back and forth and high balls”. But at the end of a great combination, he was in the right place at the right time and slotted home to make it 1-0.
21 seconds to goal
From their own goal-kick, BVB worked their way down the pitch in 21 seconds, with eight players getting a touch of the ball: Gregor Kobel, to Nmecha, who knocked it back to Schlotterbeck, whose long ball was received by Couto near the centre-circle. He laid it off to Serhou Guirassy, who slipped a pass to Nmecha. The play opened up for the midfielder, as he got his head up and picked out Adeyemi on the right. Adeyemi passed into the path of the overlapping Couto, who drove to the byline and played a low pass inside, which the unmarked Brandt got on the end of to slot home and give the Black & Yellows a 1-0 lead. “That’s how we worked on it in training,” said Kovac, adding: “When the opponent presses high, it’s important to get the ball up the pitch in 10 to 12 seconds."
According to Brandt, it wasn't him or Couto who were responsible for this goal, but Guirassy! “It's all down to Serhou, because he makes the run and takes two players with him. That leaves me unmarked.” He added: “Sometimes I wish we could do that more often, move the ball like we have it on a string.” Against Hoffenheim, it worked from start (Kobel) to finish (Brandt), over eight passes.
“Focus, concentration”
Not only did they perfectly evade the opposition’s pressing, they used it to their advantage. What’s more, they had learned their lessons from the cup match, which they dominated but unfortunately lost. “We knew that if we pressed too actively or too high today, Hoffenheim would look to play the ball behind the defence even more. We didn’t want to let that happen,” Kovac summed up: “It certainly happened once or twice, but not enough to ultimately put us in danger. My team showed a lot of focus, concentration and discipline over 90 minutes. In my opinion, the victory is well deserved, especially as we had two more good chances with Serhou (Guirassy, 90th minute, editor’s note) and Daniel Svensson (header from close range at the start of the second half). But we had to suffer. We had to work hard because Hoffenheim demanded everything from us. That’s why I’m very happy with the result, especially with the performance. You have to win the close games because the ones that aren’t close, you win anyway.”
The reward for hard work was reflected in goal number two. Svensson had taken three corners in a row into the Hoffenheim penalty area; the first two were cleared for further corners, the third out wide. Instead of letting the ball run out for a throw-in, Svensson sprinted after it, kept it in play, passed to Couto, whose cross was laid on for Schlotterbeck by Nmecha.
Niko Kovac will have gone home very satisfied. First the work, then the game. The most beautiful scene was witnessed by 81,365 spectators in the final minute of regular time, when Yan Couto once again moved in from the right into the centre, brushed off two opponents with the ball at his feet, and teed up Serhou Guirassy, who only had Oliver Baumann to beat. But his shot rattled the crossbar.
A goal would have been the icing on the cake of what was a convincing performance in every respect.
Boris Rupert