Had a problem with a scene in the final minutes: Nuri Sahin.
IMAGO/pepphoto

The stoppage time in Signal-Iduna-Park had just begun when Borussia Dortmund threatened to be deprived of the reward they supposedly deserved for a game against St. Pauli that was overwhelmingly superior for long stretches. The Black and Yellows failed to defend a long throw-in well twice. First she had Jackson Irvine lengthen his head. Then by letting Adam Dzwigala finish unchallenged six meters in front of the box.

“This is an issue that doesn’t work. We have to do better,” criticized Nuri Sahin after the final whistle DAZN – and identified a pattern from the last games: “We conceded a goal like that against Celtic, where we didn’t defend well, we conceded a goal like that against Union – and now it’s good again.” But that’s not the case The BVB coach’s assessment changed after the 2-1 win: “I’m extremely upset about how we defend the throw-in.”

Sahin: “Scenes like this make the difference”

The basis for Sahin’s displeasure was that such objections were explicitly addressed in advance. “We knew Irvine was coming from outside. It was clear to all of us that St. Pauli had long throw-ins,” complained the former midfield strategy and emphasized the relevance of such supposedly smaller moments of carelessness: “Such scenes make the difference in the end whether I stand here with 13 or eleven points.

A step that the Dortmund team has to take during the week if they want to maintain their status as premier class leaders at Real Madrid on Tuesday evening (9 p.m., LIVE! on kicker). Or, as Sahin demands: “We have to remain clear. We have to deliver results every three days to be a top team. That’s what it’s all about.”