Dortmund Break Their Three-Year Hiatus to Lift DFB-Pokal Cup
Borussia Dortmund made into their 4th consecutive DFB Pokal Cup Final. They lost on the 3 previous occasions – twice against Bayern Munich and once against Wolfsburg. They were up against a new opponent this season, Eintracht Frankfurt.
Both clubs were looking to put their best after a pretty average campaign in the Bundesliga this season. With a trophy up for grabs, a lot of action took place the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Match Recap
There were no surprises in the team sheets of both the teams. Eintracht Frankfurt played with a much defensive formation and relied on their counter attack to score goals.
Dortmund were up and running once the kick off whistle blew. They built up the pressure on the Frankfurt defense in the opening defense. They were rewarded in the 8th minute when Ousmane Dembele scored a beautiful goal from a tight angle.
Frankfurt had a few chances here and there but Dortmund were dominating the game. In the 25th minute, Seferovic was unable to get onto Chandler’s cross which was the first real chance for Eintracht Frankfurt. But it all changed in the 29th minute. Dortmund gifted the ball in the midfield as Frankfurt strung in a few passes before Rebic’s completed the move with an ice-cold finish.
The match was pretty much in the balance going into halftime. There were nearly 75,000 in attendance and they were at their best on the night.
At halftime, Tuchel made 2 changes. He brought on Pulisic for Reus who had received a lengthy treatment on his knee in the first half. Schmelzer was withdrawn for Castro.
Dortmund got the first chance of the half when Aubameyang shot was deflected by a defender on the line to the crossbar.
Lukas Hradecky conceded a foul in the box as he tackled Pulisic and Dortmund were awarded a penalty in the 66th minute. Aubameyang was not going to miss the opportunity and shot it into the roof of the goal.
Marc Batra was unable to continue and had to be subbed off in the 76th minute. Frankfurt were unable to break down the resilient defense of Dortmund. Aubameyang had another shot on goal just to hit the post once again.
Match Verdict
Dortmund fans might be thinking how did this game end only 2-1 as Aubameyang hit the post twice. Finally, Dortmund finally broke the curse of the Final as they lifted the DFB Pokal Cup after 4 seasons. Eintracht Frankfurt should be proud of their performances as they handled the Dortmund’s attack pretty well.