A six-minute reality check: Borussia Dortmund’s collapse vs Werder Bremen

Borussia Dortmund supporters surely thought that their worst fear had come to fruition when Nico Schlotterbeck was seen limping after an unfortunate landing on his ankle in the 87th minute against newly promoted Werder Bremen. It had been a messy, disorganized, and collectively dull performance from the home side up until that point. Two goals seemingly coming from nowhere looked to rescue an otherwise uninspiring performance.

Schlotterbeck fell to the turf, received treatment from the team physios, and returned to his feet, much to the emphatic relief of the fans who had seen their new signing as the bright spot for yet another home match. It looked as if Borussia Dortmund would escape with both a fanciful win and avoid the latest injury to a key player. The TV broadcast showed some home fans leaving with the clear expectation that their side had secured the win. At this point, the post-match narrative would have likely been one of mixed opinions.

Eden Terzic would have found a way to grind out another win in the manner which the club has been unable to for years now. Sometimes ugly. Often looking out of sync in possession but ultimately able to steal three points when youthful flair isn’t enough.

On the other hand, despite the win, some would have seen the performance as an indication that there is much work to be done across the pitch and that beating a newly promoted Werder Bremen at home should be a given. Borussia Dortmund didn’t deserve the points based on the overall quality of their performance.

The next six minutes would reveal that the latter group of skeptics was spot on.