BVB Players Comment On Passiveness Against Sporting CP

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·20 de fevereiro de 2025

BVB Players Comment On Passiveness Against Sporting CP

Whenever there is a nil-nil draw in football, there are only two kinds: a thrilling one with loss chances from both sides or an incredibly boring one. This Wednesday, Borussia Dortmund performed the latter and qualified for the Champions League round of 16 with an uninteresting 0-0 draw at Signal Iduna Park.

After beating Sporting by 3-nil at their domains, the Black-and-Yellows did not have to do much — or almost nothing — in the second match. Niko Kovač's side provided a bureaucratic and lackluster display in the second leg, in which the scoreless game eventually was enough to qualify the team for the next stage but was a bore fans.

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The match was hardly watchable. The players from both teams showcased certain passiveness in a match that essentially had no real competitive character. More particularly, a little more willingness was expected from the homeowners, mainly following the disappointing defeat to Bochum on the previous weekend. The manager, Niko Kovač, gave his general thoughts on the matter:

"We controlled the game and did not concede anything over 90 minutes. The bottom line is that we have progressed. The team played with great concentration today. But we try to show them the things they do really well. I am very confident that the lads will gain even more self-confidence in the next few games through good results."Niko Kovač

Although Kovač's words are somewhat truthful, the BVB fans expected actual progression from the embarrassing display against Bochum. However, what the fans saw was an uninspired team, for the most part, who should have taken advantage of the opponent's lack of interest in the match and shown superiority in front of the Yellow Wall. Despite that, Gregor Kobel commented on the 'mental aspect' of these kinds of games:

"After the 3:0 last week, it was a compulsory task that we had to fulfill. It is not an easy thing mentally right now. But all I care about is that we are through to the next round. We have two clean sheets, which means we have done a good job defensively."Gregor Kobel

The two clean sheets are undoubtedly something to celebrate, considering how inconsistent BVB's backline has been this season. Even so, the team's performances are still far from ideal, and they should have capitalized on their opponent's fragilities, including Trincão and Gyökeres being left out of the matchday squad. After some time away from post-match interviews, captain Emre Can agreed:

"We did not do more than necessary. It was a controlled progression. But we have to get this mentality into our heads that we can win a game like this even if we do not have to. We had the opportunities to do so."Emre Can

So, even in a qualification match like this, Borussia Dortmund still has some aspects that are worth criticism. For instance, Julian Brandt reflected on the recent backlash of his current form:

"The personal criticism, whether justified or unjustified, I do not notice that much myself. But I am right in the middle of it. I am on the pitch, and I know how we play. I can reflect on that."Julian Brandt

Overall, it might be a little too harsh to criticize the team even after a 'positive' result, but this match has more to tell than the "compulsory task" that Kobel described earlier. Kovač still has a lot to prove if he aspires to continue in Dortmund for the long term. Since his contract runs out in June 2026, I wonder how long it will take for fans to complain about Dortmund's passiveness and absence of entertaining football. After all, BVB has a very particular fanbase that requires an exciting team to watch, and even Julian Brandt slightly alluded to that:

"But it is a difficult situation, and that is also a reason for the lack of self-image and lightness in the end. It is a struggle; you have to get out of it. It is part of life, and we will learn from it and hopefully find our way to victories as quickly as possible."Julian Brandt