In what was a tough and rugged defensive opponent in Wolfsburg, The Black and Yellow figured out a way to solve the riddle and carry out the rest of the match in a rather calm fashion thanks to a brilliant 126 km/hr cannon from long distance by Adeyemi in the 20th minute. That combined with the fact The Wolves were content to sit back and counter for the rest of the match, allowed for a mostly eventless performance by Gregor Kobel which in the end gave BVB its third victory in four Bundesliga matches, keeping the pace with league leaders Bayern.
Despite 46% ball possession for the match by the visitors, it really didn’t add up to much in the end. They mostly circled the ball around their own half and ended up trying to whip a ball forward for Amoura in hopes that Anton, Schlotterbeck, or Bensebaini would falter. Much to Wolves’ dismay, they did not. And they rarely found space to counter as Dortmund’s defensive line were well up on their rivals’ as soon as they got the ball.
The return of Nico Schlotterbeck to the starting lineup was a sight for sore eyes on the defensive end as Dortmund were in deep need of extra depth on that back 3 to assist Anton, which they finally did. That allowed Julian Ryerson to be pushed further out toward that right flank area where he’s clearly more comfortable, and it showed with much of the attack in the first half (and the goal) coming from that side. And as a side note for defense, Bensaimi continues to play lights out in his LCB position. Just spectacular the way he can anticipate, steal, and go forward to create a threat.
Niko Kovac intended to send a message early on by putting pressure on Wolfsburg’s defense, which he did, but was met by an immediate response by the visitors. By the 10th minute, both sides had already seen a couple good chances to score. After the goal, however, both teams assumed their roles for the remainder of the match: Dortmund - ball possession and initiative, Wolfsburg - sit back and defend looking to counter.
BVB would get a few more chances in the match that were squandered due to bad finishing (Adeyemi, Beier) or selfish play (Beier) on an open counter at the end of the first half, but one thing was clear: they had NO ANSWER for Karim “The Cook” who had his way every time he had the ball, until they started fouling in order to slow him down. That was also due in part to the tremendous focus they put on Guirassy, who they allowed ZERO space with which to work and nearly snapped his 33-game run of at least one shot on target if not for his only chance in the dying minutes of the match. Credit to Paul Simonis for his well-executed gameplan there.
The only worrying aspect after this win is the fact BVB continue to lack depth. Chukwuemeka did alright in his half hour of play coming in for Beier, and Julian Brandt had a couple opportunities that were well defended, but Jude Bellingham, though early into his stint with Dortmund, still hasn’t shown the spark we’re all waiting for. And while it’ll arrive soon enough, you wonder to what capacity and whether or not it{ll be on a consistent basis. And the fact Fábio Silva hasn’t recovered fully continues to force Guirassy to play extended minutes early on here, and you don’t want him carrying such a heavy load so soon. An injury to him would be a devastating blow in all competitions you’d think. In the end, you can see the quality drop off when one of the starters come off. That should change soon.
But if you had any questions whether or not this team can play fast, attack, and score goals, those doubts should have been pretty much put to bed after this first month of the 2025-26 season. 14 goals in 6 competitive matches, spectacular play creation, exciting finishes to games, and we’re only a month in. Whether they win a trophy or not, you know you’re in for a fun ride with this team this year. And the fact they were able to stay strong today and avoid another last minute breakdown is huge.
Bottom line is The Black and Yellow beat a team that despite being difficult defensively, they had to beat because of their nearly inexistent attacking status at the moment even with Christian Eriksen’s debut today. This to stay within striking range in the Bundesliga race. The victory leaves them alone in second place, just 2 points behind Bayern. You wish GD was a bit higher to have a shot in case it comes down to a tiebreaker with Bayern, but not important at the moment. Just pulling out these victories in any way possible is the key at this point along with staying alive in the Champions League, and that they’ve done until now.