Borussia Dortmund lost 1-0 to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League on Wednesday as Fredrik Sjovold's 52nd-minute goal was enough to down the hapless BVB, whose seven-match unbeaten run came to a juddering halt at the Asmyra Stadium in Norway.
After spending much of the opening half pegged back in their own half, Dortmund gained some foothold in the match after head coach Niko Kovac made a series of changes but a goal remained elusive.
Here are 3 winners and 2 losers from Dortmund's 1-0 loss to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League
Winner #1: Waldemar Anton
An anchor of stability amid the defensive chaos, Anton held firm in the face of Bodo's onslaught. His positional awareness was exemplary and read the game well to jump into timely interventions, such the last-ditch block on Jens Hauge shortly into the second half. With 11 duels won, the Germany was an effective Dortmund player in the physical contests too as the Superlaget were forced to switch plays out wide after struggling to get much through the centre due to Anton.
Loser #1: Fabio Silva
Starting ahead of Serhou Guirassy, Silva had a chance to show he can lead the side. But no, he's just not that player. A toothless display at the Aspmyra stadium served a grim reminder of the same. The Portuguese gave the ball away rather cheaply and rarely tested the Bodo defense. Across 60 minutes of palying time, the 24-year-old didn't muster a single shot on target, a statistic that should dissuade Kovac from playing him as the long striker ever again.
Winner #2: Felix Nmecha
He came on alongside three other players in a quadruple change by Kovac at the hour mark and played an instrumental role in adding some much-needed attacking impetus into Dortmund's forward movements. Less than two minutes after stepping onto the field, Nmecha forced Bodo goalkeeper Nikita Haikin into a save before calling him into action once more in stoppage-time.
Loser #2: Samuele Inacio
Touted for bigger things this season, the arrival of new players had severely curtailed Inacio's playing time. Kovac gave him a chance on Wednesday by starting him alongside Konstantinos Karetsas as one of the two attacking midfielders operating behind Fabio Silva. But the Italian teen cut an underwhelming figure in Norway. He was often isolated on the left and made a few routines passes without ever offering even a shred of attacking threat.
Winner #3: Ethan Nwaneri
Since returning from the international break, Nwaneri seems to have added some bite to his attacking game. He had a spectacular overhead kick against Werder Bremen cruelly ruled out and came off the bench here to help the BVB get control of the match. The Arsenal loanee mustered more shots (2) than Silva (0) in half the time, including one from a header that needed Haikin's intervention.
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