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Key talking points from Borussia Dortmund’s draw against Eintracht Frankfurt

By Brian Szlenk Straub

02 February 2019, Hessen, Frankfurt/M.: Soccer: Bundesliga, Eintracht Frankfurt - Borussia Dortmund, 20th matchday in the Commerzbank-Arena. Dortmund celebrates Marco Reus after 1:0. Photo: Thomas Frey/dpa - IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the requirements of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga or the DFB Deutscher Fußball-Bund, it is prohibited to use or have used photographs taken in the stadium and/or the match in the form of sequence images and/or video-like photo sequences. (Photo by Thomas Frey/picture alliance via Getty Images)
02 February 2019, Hessen, Frankfurt/M.: Soccer: Bundesliga, Eintracht Frankfurt - Borussia Dortmund, 20th matchday in the Commerzbank-Arena. Dortmund celebrates Marco Reus after 1:0. Photo: Thomas Frey/dpa - IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the requirements of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga or the DFB Deutscher Fußball-Bund, it is prohibited to use or have used photographs taken in the stadium and/or the match in the form of sequence images and/or video-like photo sequences. (Photo by Thomas Frey/picture alliance via Getty Images) /
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Eintracht Frankfurt hosted Borussia Dortmund this past Saturday at the Commerzbank-Arena in a game that was set to be a definitive test of the title credentials the Black and Yellows have flaunted so far this season with their performances, and the fixture certainly didn’t disappoint.

Both teams came into the match boasting impressive goal tallies with players such as Luka Jović, Paco Alcacer, Marco Reus and Sebastian Haller all sitting at the summit or close to the summit in the race for top scorer.  While many may describe this game as thrilling, fast paced, and exciting, (which to be fair, it was), I suffered several miniature heart attacks before the final whistle, which makes me much more inclined to describe it as such: Terrifying, agonizingly stressful and mentally draining.

While both teams came into the game ready to attack and score goals, with both Frankfurt and Dortmund creating flurries of impressive scoring chances, (especially in the first half), the game ended in a 1-1 draw, both sides splitting the spoils of a heavily contested match. Here are some of the key takeaways Borussia Dortmund fans can walk away with from this fixture:

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 02: Julian Weigl of Dortmund jumps for a header with Antje Rebic of Frankfurt during the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund at Commerzbank-Arena on February 02, 2019 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Bongarts/Getty Images)
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 02: Julian Weigl of Dortmund jumps for a header with Antje Rebic of Frankfurt during the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund at Commerzbank-Arena on February 02, 2019 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Bongarts/Getty Images) /

The Makeshift Backline is still holding up

If you were to tell any club in the world that midway through a season’s title push they’d be without the majority of their center backs whilst facing some of the leagues toughest opposition, I’m sure they’d be somewhat worried about their chances of keeping the attacking lines of these teams at bay. In the case of Borussia Dortmund, this worry has dissipated fairly quickly with the partnership of Abdou Diallo and Julian Weigl holding off one of the best attacks in the Bundesliga this season: The trident of Sebastian Haller, Luka Jović and Ante Rebić.

With two of the three players vying in the race for top scorer this season, this wouldn’t have proven an easy task even if Dan Axel Zagadou and Manuel Akanji were fit to start. Even so, despite letting in a very good goal by Jović, Dortmund defended fairly well, considering the circumstances. Weigl continued to showcase his ability to help Dortmund play out the back and came up big with a couple crucial interventions to stop Frankfurt’s efforts on goal. Diallo performed admirably as well, putting in some pivotal tackles, the one in the 16th minute to stop Haller outside of the box during Frankfurt’s first flurry of pressure a shining example of how much he’s improved the Dortmund back line.

There were some shaky moments however; moments that highlight why we wouldn’t want Weigl in this position in the long run. His mix up with Diallo in the 33rd minute that led to Rebić getting clear on goal is a clear cut example of this. Had it not been for a tremendous save from Roman Bürki (who has yet another stellar game), the Frankfurt attacker may have changed the course of this match entirely.

Hence while we can commend Weigl for doing as well as he has, we are constantly reminded that he is not in fact a center back, or at least not yet. We can’t be sure what Favre and the board have planned for Weigl, but if he is to make a permanent switch to the position, (which I somewhat doubt), he still clearly needs some polishing.

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