Hummels makes himself a scapegoat at BVB
Dortmund have only won one of their last six Bundesliga games, and the defeat against Leipzig is doubly bitter: the gap to the Champions League places is growing and Mats Hummels will be suspended next week. The defensive boss sees his early red card as decisive for the game.
Mats Hummels had only played 15 minutes in the top match of the 14th Bundesliga matchday when he was sent off. He was forced to do so because referee Sven Jablonski had revised his assessment of the foul on Loïs Openda, which had serious consequences in any case, with the help of the video assistant: outside the penalty area instead of inside it, free kick instead of penalty, red card instead of caution. Borussia Dortmund not only had to play the remaining 75 minutes plus stoppage time outnumbered, but also without their currently in-form defensive boss.
Immediately after the match, Hummels commented on the bitter 3:2 draw in the chasing duel against Rasenballsport Leipzig: "The defeat is on me, I must never go down to the straddle and leave the boys on the pitch with one man less for 80 minutes." The 35-year-old took responsibility for the fact that BVB are fifth in the table and four points behind the Champions League places just before the winter break. The energy of his colleagues, who pressed in vain for an equalizer in the closing stages, did nothing to change that: "A big compliment to the fans and the team for their morale today."
Coach Edin Terzić did not want to contradict this when he was asked about the scene and Hummels' assessment of it on pay-TV channel Sky: "I think we can leave it at that." The international himself knew "that he couldn't go down there - not in that action and especially not in that minute of the game." Because "until the red card, we were the better team." Terzić wished Hummels hadn't straddled him, "then we'd have to take the risk, swallow the goal we conceded and continue playing with eleven players." In the final phase of a match, such an action is more likely: "But not so early."
However, the 41-year-old head coach has also come in for criticism time and time again: Including the zero against Leipzig, who were by no means outstanding, Dortmund have only won one of their last six league games. Should Leverkusen win in Stuttgart on Sunday, BVB's gap to first place will grow to 13 points. Borussia deservedly lost twice to VfB in the cup on Wednesday and just under four weeks ago in the league, with both performances fueling discussions about the team's overly destructive approach.
Terzić, however, was his usual confident self: "We'll get up again. We have proven it, we will prove it and we will manage bit by bit to deal with fewer setbacks." The next chance to do so will come on Wednesday in the Champions League, when they face Paris St. Germain (9pm/DAZN and live ticker at ntv.de) for the group win. The Black & Yellows are already assured of progressing, and a win could even propel the star ensemble from the French capital into the Europa League. With Hummels, who will then have to serve his suspension next weekend in the Bundesliga away game in Augsburg.
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Despite Hummels' self-assigned blame for Dortmund's recent struggles in the Bundesliga, including the suspension following his red card against Leipzig, Edin Terzic remains optimistic about their future performances. Terzic, under scrutiny himself due to Dortmund's recent form, is eager to guide the team back to their winning ways, with Hummels set to return from suspension after their Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain.
Source: www.ntv.de
