Borussia Dortmund's seven-match unbeaten run ended last night with a 1-0 loss to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League. The BVB were utterly lackluster for much of their clash, struggling to break down their hosts and conceding possession far too easily. They finished with fewer possession (49% to 51%), fewer shots (8 to 11) and fewer big chances created (1 to 3) as the Superlaget picked up another major scalp in their burgeoning European record. Here are the key talking points:
1) BVB pay the price for passiveness
Borussia Dortmund went 80 minutes without a goal against Werder Bremen on Friday, but were at least proactive in going forward and creating opportunities. Here, the side was completely listless and devoid of ideas for a good 60 minutes until substitutes came in and energized the squad which made the contest a little more even.
Until then, Bodo was all over them, pushing them on the backfoot right from the opening minute with their quick passing game and aggressive pressing. The BVB created just one big chance in the game, a damning indictment of their lack of attacking firepower on the night. It's also down to having players such as Serhou Guirassy, Marcel Sabizter and Julian Ryerson on the bench as Kovac made a few questionable calls on the night.
2) Anton shows he's the real defensive leader
We often rave about Nico Schlotterbeck - dropped from the matchday squad last night on account of workload management - and how he's the defensive leader in Dortmund's backline. But Waldemar Anton showed last night that he's the real boss, holding the fort superbly whilst also offering some valuable press whenever the BVB got ahead.
Combining his physicality with vision and positioning, Anton made three interceptions, five clearances and blocked two shots while also looking to disrupt Bodo's movements off the ball by constantly challenging them. He attempted 11 ground duels, winning eight and showcased his aerial prowess by winning three of his four duels there too.
One of the few players who didn't deserve to end up on the losing side of the game.
3) Substitutes turn the tide, but goals remained elusive
Having seen his side slog for the first hour, Kovac had enough and threw in Nmecha, Ethan Nwaneri, Ryerson and Guirassy all together in a quadruple change. The impact was almost immediate, with Dortmund suddenly in control and dictating the game's tempo. They got forward well and punched a few holes in Bodo's defense too.
Nmecha forced a spectacular save from Bodo goalkeeper Nikita Haikin in the 62nd minute with a fearsome strike from range, while Guirassy's close-range attempt a few minutes later was blocked. Nwaneri's header was too close to Haikin, who saved it without a fuss, while Nmecha and Ryerson came close in stoppage-time too, but the side fell short of finding an equalizer.
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