The loudest cheers at the Westfalenstadion on Sunday afternoon were not Jude Bellingham’s 1-0 lead over Borussia Dortmund, nor Jamie Beynoe Gittens’ goal to make it 3-2, but Geo. Not even when Reina’s half-volley hit the net. 4-3 win.
They were all sublime strikes and ecstatic moments in a roller coaster game, but the decibel level didn’t compare to the peak reached when Sebastian Haller was substituted in the 62nd minute. I was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent chemotherapy and two successful surgeries.
“Sebastian!” “Hurray!” “Sebastian!” “Hurray!” 81,325 supporters chanted. Whether it was the black-and-yellow Dortmund persuasion or the red, green and white colors of the Augsburg visitors, the 28-year-old was applauded on the pitch by teammates and opponents alike to get his message across. was decorated. Orange boots: “F*** cancer.”
“We got goosebumps when Sebastian spoke to the team before the game before leaving the dressing room,” head coach Edin Terzic revealed.Our fans. We are all so happy to have him back and proud to have shared that moment with him. That’s the power of football.”
But as emotional as football is, the elite level also remains ruthless, with Teržić reminding reporters: “It only matters emotionally that he’s back. Look at the qualities he has, not the way he lifts the ball, the way he links moves, and the way he draws better positioned teammates into the game. I am very happy that he is back.”
a familiar failure
Haller certainly had a job to do. His road to recovery has been astonishing, but Dortmund’s performances up to that point have been typical.
They were largely in control against Augsburg, but as is often the case this season, Donyell Malen, Karim Adiemi and Youssoufa Moukoko were overwhelmed up front. Moukoko is Dortmund’s top scorer this season with six goals, but he opened up his best chance in a one-on-one against the Augsburg goalkeeper a day after penning his new three-year contract. He was unable to increase that number when Rafal Gikiewicz.
It was no surprise that it fell to the wayward Bellingham, by far the best player on the pitch, to create a moment of genuine quality to give Dortmund the lead, but a spectacular end to the not-so-spectacular first half. A sloppy defense saw them tied at 2-2 in a tight five minutes.
Haller used a combination of size and touch to control the ball, and when he flicked inside the box from the 70th-minute corner, Haller showed a glimpse of what he could offer up front, but it was Dortmund’s next move that really made the difference. was two substitutes
Dortmund’s ‘weapon’ off the bench
Bynoe-Gittens was off the bench to score an important goal for Dortmund against Freiburg this season. box.
“It’s just a shame that there were five months between his two goals,” Teržić told DW after the game, lamenting a shoulder injury that has kept the British teenager out of action.Studio and practice place. He has a great ability to dribble one-on-one and as a team we want to put him in a position to use that weapon.”
However, after Augsburg quickly leveled the score again to make it 3-3, American youngster Reina finished the match with a spectacular late goal.
“It’s very important to have a technically strong wide player in a game like this,” explained Teržić.
High hopes for Haller
Whether it’s Bellingham dominating midfield or the young talent coming off the bench to score important goals, the best qualities of this Borussia Dortmund side are still evident. In his 15 Bundesliga appearances until Sunday he had scored only 25 goals, a sluggish attack and a sloppy, error-prone defense.
All was true on Sunday and the biggest novelty was the return of Haller. Not only was it a moment of great emotional importance, but it was also a sports-related moment. And that’s why it got the biggest cheers of the afternoon.
