Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac admitted that his side were sloppy in the opening stanza of their 3-2 comeback win over Hamburg in the Bundesliga last weekend.
Die Rothosen gave their mighty hosts a real scare in the first 45 minutes as they led 2-0 at the Signal Iduna Park at the break, a feat not matched by any side in the competition this season.
William Mikelbrencis dispossessed Daniel Svensson on the right before feeding Philip Otele with a cross inside the box for 1-0.
A few minutes later, Hamburg once again regained possession near the Dortmund area and moved it swiftly before Albert Sambi Lokonga slammed one into the net, sending Hamburg in dreamland.
Felix Nmecha had the chance to cut the deficit right before the interval but missed his penalty kick as the scoreline remained 2-0 in Hamburg's favor.
Reflecting back upon that frantic first half on Saturday, Kovac gave credit to Hamburg for their superior display while speaking to the press after the game:
"“HSV did a lot of things right in the first half and defended very aggressively. We definitely played far too slowly and failed to create numerical advantages. That’s why we addressed a few things at half-time and made a real difference with the two substitutions.""said the Croatian
Kovac sent in Ramy Bensebaini and Serhou Guirassy in the second half, a pair of tactitcal substitutions that paid off handsomely as it injected more flair into Dortmund's game and secured a win.
Bensebaini eventually netted two penalties, including the winning goal in the 84th minute while Guirassy also bagged one as the Black and Yellows mounted an incredible comeback after the break.
The manager also credited the victory to the fans thronging the Signal Iduna Park for their energy and vowed to continue their run after the international break.
" "In the second half, the energy of the stadium really helped us. I liked the way we played in the second half and that’s what I would have liked to see from the very first minute. And then Signal Iduna Park did the rest. Despite the three penalties, we deserved to come away as winners and will hopefully continue to pick up the points we need after the international break.""added Dortmund manager Kovac
Borussia Dortmund return to action from the international break on 4 April with an away game against VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.