Dortmund loses in Cologne: lost focus, missed the lead | Sports | DW

Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart (right) hugs BVB striker Anthony Modeste (left) before the game 1. FC Cologne - Borussia Dortmund

Things looked good for BVB at half-time in the away game in Cologne: Julian Brandt gave coach Edin Terzic’s team the lead in the 31st minute after a strong combination, Union Berlin was 2-0 down at half-time in Frankfurt – lightning leaders BVB.

But the runner-up missed the three points this afternoon in Cologne despite being in the lead – again. After a good first half, Dortmund were too passive in the second half, especially at the beginning. Because less than eight minutes after the break, Cologne equalized through Florian Kainz (53rd). “It’ll work,” the Cologne team probably thought and followed suit: Steffen Tigges scored the lead for the home side after a corner kick – the game turned around (56′).

Hugs and whistles for Modeste

It was Tigges’ first goal in his fourth Bundesliga appearance for 1. FC Köln, to which he switched in the summer after two years at BVB. Another striker had been in focus beforehand: Anthony Modeste, who went the opposite way from Cologne to Dortmund in the summer, was whistled at when he returned to Cologne, where he had been under contract from 2015 to 2017 and from 2018 to 2022 considered by the ranks.

Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart, who had a special relationship with Modeste and greeted his former top striker with a warm hug before the game, had hoped for a conciliatory reception from the Cologne fans for Modeste and Salih Özcan, who also switched to BVB in the summer. “I hope that nobody forgets that the boys have done a lot for FC and I hope that they will be greeted sensibly, as I think it should be,” Baumgart said before meeting his ex-players again.

Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart (right) hugs BVB striker Anthony Modeste (left) before the game 1. FC Cologne - Borussia Dortmund

Hug for the ex: Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart hugs BVB striker Anthony Modeste before the game

But the Cologne fans only granted this to Özcan. Every touch of the ball by Modeste, who had scored a total of 79 goals in 135 competitive games for Cologne, was accompanied by a loud whistling concert. And that had an effect: Modeste acted unhappily at the old place of work for almost the entire season and hardly came to any conclusions. Things just aren’t going well for the French at BVB. Modeste has only scored one goal in the dress of the German runners-up – in a 1-0 away win at Hertha BSC after preparatory work by Salih Özcan.

Dortmund and the mentality question

Modeste and his new club do not leave his “old living room” as leaders, but empty-handed. And not without good reason, with all three goals conceded, the Dortmund back team lacked access. There was either a lack of positional play or a consistent approach to the opponent. As in the 3:1 for Cologne by Dejan Ljubicic, who let Niklas Süle wait and see and who used this invitation with a nice flick into the far corner, which is worth seeing.

Midfielder Julian Brandt (centre) from Borussia Dortmund and his teammates celebrate his goal to make it 1-0 at 1. FC Köln.

The black and yellow world was still in order: Julian Brandt (centre) celebrates his goal to make it 1-0

Nobody in the black and yellow dress remembered the feelings of happiness from the first half. Defender Nico Schlotterbeck grumbled, Anthony Modeste looked resigned into space – BVB not only seemed beaten, it was. Even the follow-up goal from Benno Schmitz’s own goal couldn’t change anything – at BVB the question of mentality arises again.

“We played a good first half and had many, many chances,” said international Julian Brandt. “We should have done ourselves a favor – and had to do more. That’s how we came out in the second half, defended it very badly and conceded three goals in a short time,” said the disappointed goalscorer Julian Brandt after the game on Sky.


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