You shouldn't be late this Friday evening at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. This is good, the 25,000 supporters of the Yellow Wall were already in full almost an hour before kick-off. And for this match against Cologne, it was a huge clamor that greeted Raphaël Guerreiro's goal after 52 seconds of play. What to warm up while the thermometer showed a zero degree of season.
After their 5-3 victory at Augsburg, marked by the triplet of their young Norwegian recruit Erling Haaland, the Borussia, 4 th before this 19th day, found its boiling audience - 81,365 spectators - for its first official home match of the year. Facing the 13th in the Bundesliga, the men of coach Lucien Favre, fulfilled their mission, with application against an adversary without relief.
The future opponents of PSG in the Champions League dominated the meeting. Marco Reus (2-0, 29th) then Jadon Sancho (3-0, 48th) made the difference. But the feat still came from Haaland. The 19-year-old nugget, who came into play at the 65th minute, scored twice (77th, 87th) that the Yellow Wall celebrated as it should be.
Defense scrutinized
But in view of the 8th final against Paris, it was also on the defensive level that we were watching Dortmund's form. This week, Willy Sagnol, the former defender of Bayern Munich, had he not assured on RMC that the level of German defense this season would lead PSG to put "two suitcases" to his opponent?
In the vicinity of the stadium, before the match, supporters of the Jaune et Noir shared this opinion. "Given the three goals we took in Augsburg, you can imagine when Mbappé and Neymar will land! Worried Aljosha, 26.
This Friday's performance will not completely reassure skeptics. If only Uth found the fault (3-1, 65th) for Cologne, the lost balloons remain numerous and sound like so many promises for the Parisian attackers.
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Dortmund will now be able to rest and prepare for the reception of the Union Berlin on Saturday 1 February. He has only four games left by February 18, the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League. Paris could count up to seven on its agenda.