Borussia Dortmund battled to a frustrating 0-0 draw against Union Berlin in a rainy German capital, a result that definitely stings after Wednesday’s 1-0 loss. Head coach Niko Kovac shook things up big time, making five lineup changes in response to that defeat, bringing Schlotterbeck, Ryerson, Nmecha, Nwaneri, and Guirassy back into the starting eleven. Clearly, the team took his criticism to heart, coming out firing with aggressive challenges, even if it meant early yellow cards for Ethan Nwaneri, Waldemar Anton, and Serhou Guirassy within the first 14 minutes.
Dortmund Dominated Possession, But Lacked The Punch
The Black & Yellow showed some serious fluidity after that fiercely contested opening, pressing in waves and owning the ball. They dominated possession in the first half with a whopping 63%, pushing hard up the right wing thanks to the dynamic Julian Ryerson. But here’s the kicker: all that effort somehow failed to create any *quality* scoring chances. It felt like they were knocking on the door, but the lock just wouldn’t give. In fact, it was Union Berlin who almost broke the deadlock late in the first half, with Gregor Kobel needing to be super alert to stifle Kastriot Imeri’s wicked bouncing free kick. What gives, BVB? All that control and nothing to show for it on the scoreboard?
Second Half Fight, Still No Finish
The second half started with BVB finally creating their first real chance in the 56th minute, but Maxi Beier’s effort off a Ryerson cross sailed just wide. You could see more drive from both sides, with Dortmund looking better in their counter-press as they pushed for the opener. Union Berlin, though, was content to just sit back, waiting for those counterattacking chances. Tim Skarke almost made BVB pay for an errand pass by Gadou in the 60th minute, but couldn’t capitalize. To add insult to injury for Union, Konstantinos Karetsas, who’d just come on as a sub, hurt his ankle without any contact, forcing Mathis Albert into the game. Dortmund kept pushing, with Guirassy’s header on a Ryerson free kick coming close in the 79th minute, and the target forward was forced too wide after a quality pass by Nmecha in the 89th. Even in stoppage time, a cross frustratingly just missed Guirassy’s head, surprising the American Albert and keeping the ball from getting on goal.
It’s a tough one to swallow for Dortmund. After a performance that saw them control so much of the game, coming away with just a point and zero goals feels like a missed opportunity. They need to find that killer instinct in front of goal if they want to turn these dominant performances into much-needed wins.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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