Borussia Dortmund: Defense worries before the playoffs

In the icy rain, Borussia Dortmund’s footballers ran onto the pitch for training on Monday, heavily bundled up; in some cases only their eyes were visible. Only when we counted more closely did it become apparent what BVB announced a little later: Neither Nico Schlotterbeck nor Niklas Süle were training, both central defenders and national players will be out of the Champions League playoff first leg against Atalanta Bergamo (Tuesday, 9 p.m.).

Before the “days of fate” for Dortmund, their already major defensive concerns became dramatically worse. In the home game against Bergamo, the last line-up has to defend. It was already clear that central defenders Emre Can (groin problems) and Filippo Mané (muscle injury) were also missing. BVB coach Niko Kovac will probably have to rely on Luca Reggiani, who is only 18 years old, in defence: the Italian with only 46 professional minutes of experience played in front of Dortmund’s south stand for the first time last Friday in the 4-0 win against Mainz.

Before the four-round playoffs in just twelve days, this was a real dampener in the mood: Bergamo, Leipzig (League), Bergamo. And then also Bayern (League) – the fate of Borussia this season will probably be decided in the next two weeks. “Now it’s just win or fly,” said Kovac before the first knockout duel: “We have four injured central defenders, but we’ll find a solution,” the coach hopes.

At least one former problem child is currently in the flow: just at the right time, center forward Serhou Guirassy recently shone with six goals in six league games after a seven-game goal drought. “His reaction was sensationally good,” praises Kovac, “his goals increase the probability of winning games.” This is particularly necessary in the Champions League, because BVB has so far learned bitterly that as the quality of their opponents increases, good results have failed to materialize this season: This was the case with Juventus Turin (4:4), with Manchester City (1:4), with Tottenham Hotspur (0:2) and most recently against Inter Milan (0:2).

“We have to step up our game in the Champions League,” emphasizes Niko Kovac, even though playoff opponent Atalanta Bergamo, the 2024 Europa League winner, is not radiantly on the top shelf of the premier class. Internationally known players are rare in the squad of the sixth-placed team in the Italian league.