Borussia Dortmund traveled to Bayer Leverkusen in another ‘final,’ in their last-grasp effort to qualify for European competitions. Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga last season but were forced to settle for second place this time around. However, this was Xabi Alonso’s farewell match, as he prepares to move on from the club he guided to glory.
The match started with constant pressure from Leverkusen, and BVB were powerless to Jeremie Frimpong’s opening goal. But the Black and Yellows increased their pressure and Julian Brant scored an equalizer three minutes later. It was then Julian Ryerson who fired Dortmund in front just before halftime.
Not only did Borussia Dortmund maintain their lead in the second half, they doubled their score too, with goals from Karim Adeyemi and Serhou Guirassy. Jonas Hoffman scored pulled one back in stoppage time, but it was only a consolation. Now, Borussia Dortmund will head into the final matchday with exceptional momentum. Here are my Three Takeaways from the 4-2 Win over Bayer Leverkusen.
We Need Gregor Kobel
The Swiss keeper performed admirably in this match, and some could even suggest this was his best performance of the season. He managed seven saves against an aggressive Leverkusen attack in the first half, and he contorted his body with impeccable reflexes. He did concede two, but had 3.78 xG faced. Kobel hasn’t been the strongest with his feet this season, but we can’t question his shot-stopping ability as he displayed World-Class quality.
There’s been speculation recently that Gregor Kobel may leave this summer, but he’s doing everything he can to help Dortmund reach the UEFA Champions League, and perhaps that tells a different story in regard to his intentions.
UEFA Champions League IS achievable
While it was helpful that St. Pauli managed a draw against Freiburg, Borussia Dortmund deserve credit for earning 19 points from their last seven games. This makes them the team with the best current form in the entire Bundesliga. Now, BVB is in a position to qualify for Champions League so long as they win next weekend by two goals or more. With a strong performance against Keil next week, Borussia Dortmund fans will be able to rest easy this summer with UCL football waiting next season.
For more on the specific scenarios of UCL qualification, click here!
The Squad Finally Looks Cohesive
For so much of this season, Dortmund players have flashed their brilliance but played poorly with one another. This could be attributed to the systems utilized and players selected, but in recent matches, Borussia Dortmund has appeared more and more cohesive. No player had an outlier of a bad performance against Leipzig, and I think that’s a reflection of Kovac’s influence.
Finally, Dortmund has some stability, and it’s showing in BVB’s attacking talents and four different players found the net. This reminds me of the Borussia Dortmund of old, and I look forward to next weekend’s ‘final!’