Borussia Dortmund 1-4 RB Leipzig: Key takeaways

Erling Haaland extends goalless run to 4 games since return to action in March

Considering Erling Haaland is always in the media anyway these days, it makes sense to start the analysis of the game with a look at the Norwegian international and the run of form he’s been on since returning from injury. Since his return, Haaland has failed to score for Borussia Dortmund in four games and counting.

Considering Haaland’s overall output for the club since he signed from Salzburg in December of 2019, this is quite noteworthy considering it looks to be his longest run of consecutive games without a goal for the club.

Haaland’s goal drought is a substantial issue for the club, and could stem from a variety of factors. On one hand, considering Haaland has been dealing with bouts of substantial injuries this season,  his run of form could come down to the fact that he isn’t fully fit. Over the international break, Haaland found himself on the end of yet another injury in Norway’s game against Armenia, and the club wasn’t completely sure he would be able to play against Leipzig. All these knocks surely have an impact on even the best of players.

We are also entering the period in the season where Haaland will be making his choice regarding where to play next season. A decision looks likely to be made soon and this in itself could prove to be a distraction for the Norwegian goal machine. It is more than likely that Haaland will leave the club for pastures new, which also inevitably has an effect on his performances, as we’ve seen more than once over the years.

I would be hard pressed to say that Haaland seems to have “checked out” or that he is disinterested when on the pitch for Dortmund, because he has more often than not been one of the team’s driving forces since joining. That being said, over the course of the last few games, it has become very apparent that the fight, tenacity and intensity that endeared him to Dortmund fans just hasn’t been at the very same level.

Haaland has missed numerous chances since his return that he previously would have buried without hesitation. It is this drop in form that has made the team far less effective as a whole.

Ironically enough, Dortmund have scored far less goals per game since Haaland’s return than during his absence, when they even managed to put six past Borussia Mönchengladbach. These numbers aren’t meant to indicate that Dortmund are better off without Haaland in the lineup; on the contrary, they are meant to show what sort of numbers the team has been putting up due to an over-reliance on a player who has given so much and is currently out of form.

While it is of course Erling Haaland’s job to score goals, Dortmund have a tendency to be over-reliant on the Norwegian. In his absence the team showed that they have the ability to score goals from a variety of positions. This seems to disappear when Haaland is on the pitch. There have of course been other factors at play. But if Dortmund’s play continues to focus on merely getting the ball to a not fully fit or distracted Erling Haaland, it won’t be hard for teams to continue to break down Dortmund’s attacking play.