Borussia Dortmund's Sebastian Kehl: BVB were courageous despite Leipzig defeat

In the wake of Borussia Dortmund's defeat to RB Leipzig this past wekeend, many have been drawing a variety of conclusions from the game. For Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl, the result was a sign of courage in the face of adversity, despite Die Schwarzgelben not being able to come away with any points in this fixture:

"The team showed a good reaction. They were courageous, they continued to play good soccer even when they were outnumbered."

- Sebastian Kehl

Dortmund were outnumbered from very early on after Mats Hummels made the decision to tackle Loïs Openda in what initially looked to be within the confines of the Dortmund penalty box. VAR's intervention showed that the veteran German internatonal had brought Openda down outside the box, making it a red card challenge that saw Hummels get his marching orders. Dortmund struggled in the advent of his absecne, but Kehl noted that he saw a lot of positives in the performance despite his side going a man down.

"The red card for Mats Hummels was of course very unfavorable for us and had a decisive influence on the game...There were many positive aspects, but we can read the table and know that we now have to score consistently in order to achieve our goal for the season."

- Sebastian Kehl

Dortmund's lack of scoring ability is something that has been highlited over and over again this season, with the team fluctuating in terms of potency up front. Niclas Füllkrug has been the club's most lethal front-man this season, scoring 5 goals in the league. This is not up to the standard we're used to when it comes to Dortmund attackers, and considering the injuries the club has picked up recently, it doesn't look like there will be much variation for the club to work with until Youssoufa Moukoko comes back from injury layoff in January.

One of the main positives Kehl may be alluding to could be the perfromance of Giovanni Reyna, who came on late in the second half to change the complexion of the game. His control of the ball, dangerous shooting and ability to work the ball in tight spaces opened new doors for Dortmund that make it even more bemusing when one realizes how little game-time Reyna hasd been getting this season. As one of the players who really shined in this hard fought performance, perhaps the injuries that Dortmund have incurred will finally afford Gio the space on the pitch and the minutes to be a real difference maker moving forward this season.