In regards to the mentality matter, BVB manager Sahin expresses his frustration.
Nuri Sahin had a few grievances with Borussia Dortmund's performance on Friday evening. Particularly, he was unhappy about their poor defense on a throw-in which put them in a tough spot. However, he brushed off one criticism swiftly.
Post-match, Sahin was in no mood to discuss the upcoming Champions League encounter against Real Madrid. He expressed his focus on the Bundesliga match against FC St. Pauli, calling out the 2:1 victory as a challenging yet successful outing. Late into Friday night, he revisited the game, likely spotting more faults.
Dortmund's dominance throughout the contest was marred by avoidable slip-ups and individual errors that allowed Hamburg to pose threats. Matthias Sammer's outburst in the stands during the first half echoed the displeasure, and Sahin himself was not pleased after a certain incident. Addressing DAZN, Sahin highlighted that they needed to strengthen their throw-in defense. "This is an area we must enhance," he stated. A careless throw-in almost cost Dortmund the victory, with tough chances falling to Irvine and Dzwigala. Sahin picked up on a pattern, acknowledging their past struggles against similar set-pieces. "We've conceded goals like this against Celtic and Union. We were fortunate this time," Sahin admitted, visibly frustrated about their throw-in defense.
A minute and a half from full-time, the BVB were saved by Serhou Guirassy's header, which secured the hard-earned 2:1 victory. Bensebaini opened scoring in the first half with his debut goal for Dortmund.
Pressed on the supposed absence of mental strength, Sahin retorted with passion: "This team doesn't possess a mental problem. Gracing the pitch for Borussia Dortmund - you can't harbor a bad mentality. I won't tolerate anybody talking about my team in such a fashion. For the love of heaven," he exclaimed. However, he underscored the necessity of consistent results to remain competitive. "Regarding mentality, I'd rather not delve deeper," Sahin mentioned.
Moving past their league responsibilities, BVB's attention shifts to Tuesday's highly-anticipated Champions League rematch against Real Madrid (21:00 CET/Prime Video and ntv.de live ticker). Sebastian Kehl, the sporting director, acknowledged the looming challenge and shared confidence in their chances. "We've experienced what's coming. They'll create spaces. I don't picture us as underdogs," explained Kehl. With a thin squad, recovery rates take center stage before the showdown with the royals. Sahin has only one practice session remaining on Monday to rectify mistakes from the Pauli encounter. "Then we'll address the issues," he confirmed.
Following his criticism of Borussia Dortmund's throw-in defense, Sahin emphasized the need for improvement in this area, stating, "This is an area we must enhance, just like we did after conceding goals against Celtic and Union." After their hard-fought 2:1 victory against FC St. Pauli, Sahin and Borussia Dortmund now turn their attention to strengthening their throw-in defense before their Champions League encounter against Real Madrid.
