Pre-Match Report
UEFA Champions League: BVB Aims to Build on Home Win in Norway
The scenario
In their Champions League opener, BVB won 3-2 at home against Villarreal CF. Following an own goal by the opponent, Serhou Guirassy scored both goals and put BVB on the path to victory. In the group stage standings—which are still largely meaningless at this stage—the Black and Yellows sit in twelfth place.
The win against Villarreal was one of six consecutive victories across all competitions. Last Friday, the Borussians dropped points for the first time this season: In their Bundesliga home game against Werder Bremen, the Black and Yellows led 2–0 until shortly before the end but conceded two goals to finish with a 2–2 draw.
Squad
Nico Schlotterbeck did not make the trip to Norway. The center back had returned early from national team duty due to injury but still took the field in the home game against Werder Bremen. He will miss the match in Norway as a precaution to manage his workload. “After his injury with the national team, we got him back quickly. He played in the last game. But tomorrow’s match isn’t ideal for his ankle. We discussed with the medical staff that he won’t be playing,” explains Kovac.
Julian Ryerson and Carney Chukwuemeka also returned from their national teams carrying injuries and had to sit out the match against Werder Bremen. Both are options again for the match in Ryerson’s native Norway.
Opponent
FK Bodø/Glimt, Norway’s current runner-up, is competing in the Champions League, where the team kicked off with a 0–5 loss to Bayern Munich. Last weekend, the team won 3–1 at home against Kristiansund BK, propelling them back to the top of the Norwegian Eliteserien. There, they share first place with champions Viking Stavanger. Both teams have 53 points after 22 matchdays. “They’re especially dangerous in the final third. They’re a team that’s been playing under the same coach for many years. They’re doing really well, especially at home,” says Ryerson about his Norwegian compatriots. Kovac adds: “There have been some big-name teams here, and many have seen how difficult it is to play here. We know it’s going to be a really intense game for us tomorrow. But we’re feeling confident and believe we have what it takes to win the game. Nothing is easy, though—especially not in the Champions League.”
Artificial Turf
The Scandinavian climate, with its long, cold winters, makes natural grass unplayable for much of the year. In Norway, therefore, games are played on artificial turf—including at Aspmyra Stadium. For this reason, the team didn’t hold its final training session the day before the game in Dortmund as usual, but at the venue itself to get a feel for the field. “It really is a difference. It’s harder to press; we’ll have to compensate for that. We shouldn’t make a bigger deal out of it than it is, but the difference is definitely there,” says Ryerson. Kovac doesn’t want to use the surface as an excuse: “The lads played on artificial turf in their youth. We still want to impose our style of play. Changing direction is more difficult on a surface like this; we’ll have to adjust everything a bit.”
Incidentally, the first competitive match in the club’s history on artificial turf also took place in Norway: In 2015, BVB came back from a 0–3 deficit to secure a 4–3 victory at Odds BK.
Christina Reinke
