DFB Cup: In Dortmund they say goodbye

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Erling Haaland (right) and Borussia Dortmund can no longer win the cup

Photo:

FOCKE STRANGMANN v EPO

The title is gone:

German football is groaning about the lack of tension in the Bundesliga. And in the DFB Cup? That should be the competition of Borussia Dortmund again. If not a championship title against overpowering Bayern (already knocked out in the cup), then please win the cup again, like last year. The performance against FC St. Pauli was all the more inexplicable. Thomas Meunier once looked incredulous when a ball jumped on the bad grass at Millerntor. That's the cup, you have to accept all imponderables. Not everyone was ready for this that evening in front of 2000 spectators, especially Marco Reus showed a poor performance. The Dortmund youngster had always emphasized that he wanted to bring the trophy back to Dortmund.

The result:

BVB lost 1:2 (0:2) in the round of 16 of the DFB Cup in St. Pauli.

The Hamburgers are in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2006, when it went one round further.

Watzke, the soother:

Since the 5-1 win against Freiburg in the Bundesliga, there has only been one topic in Dortmund: the future of Erling Haaland. The Norwegian had complained to the TV station Viasat about being forced to make a quick decision by BVB. He just wants to play football. Haaland is said to have an exit clause in the summer, and there should be enough financially strong clubs. BVB boss Hans-Joachim Watzke downplayed the alleged dispute before the game on ARD. "Erling was obviously bothered by the fact that the media read about an ultimatum," said Watzke. Such an ultimatum does not exist. And when a decision should be made is not certain either. If Watzke was asked about the current state of affairs in the coming weeks, he would “just keep telling the same nonsense”.

Reus is not a central defender:

This realization may not come as a surprise, but when the hosts took the lead early on, Dortmund's captain acted ultimately as an opponent of goalscorer Etienne Amenyido. At BVB, the question is less as to why Reus doesn't defend it better. Rather why he is forced to do so in the fourth minute of such an important game. Amenyido couldn't believe his luck at all. He grabbed his head in disbelief. Amenyido was trained in the youth of BVB.

Two great chances, another goal conceded:

After falling behind – goals conceded are often the norm for the Dortmund pros this season – the favorites quickly switched to attack mode and should have equalized. However, Thorgan Hazard (7th minute) failed like Reus (18th) free-standing to St. Pauli's substitute goalkeeper Dennis Smarsch. After that, BVB dominated the game without creating any further chances. And the second division leaders? After the perfect start, he had more confidence and scored a second time: Ex-Schalke player Guido Burgstaller was released on the right side, he was looking for Amenyido again in the centre. Axel Witsel wanted to clarify, but put the ball in his own net.

A penalty is not enough:

At the beginning of the second half of the Bundesliga season, Borussia was 2-0 down – and won 3-2 in the end. The first minutes of the second half looked as unimaginative as the last 25 before the break. But then Jakov Medić jumped the ball in his own sixteen - and Haaland converted to connect. The sense of achievement did not trigger anything in the players of coach Marco Rose, who, despite the poor performance, made only three changes late. St. Pauli was more dangerous on the counterattack and had little trouble maintaining the narrow lead over time.

Dortmund M question:

Prominent football experts like to work their way through BVB. Dietmar Hamann, Lothar Matthäus or on this evening in Hamburg Bastian Schweinsteiger criticize the second best football team in the country for not always having the will to win – or as it is often said: for a lack of mentality. "It's a bit stupid that we serve these clichés," said coach Rose after the game on ARD.

Hamburger way:

St. Pauli and Hamburger SV are very far apart in many things, the lack of success in the DFB Cup has united the city rivals in recent years – with a few exceptions.

Now both clubs are in the quarter-finals together, for the first time since 1997 and only for the second time in cup history.

Next Friday, HSV St. Pauli receives in the 2nd Bundesliga.

Both can climb there.