Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund Beat Augsburg On Sebastian Haller’s Return From Cancer
Borussia Dortmund clinched a 4-3 thriller at home against Augsburg on Sunday as Sebastien Haller returned to the team after battling testicular cancer. Dortmund took the lead three times, only for Augsburg to equalise, exploiting the home side’s disorganised defence. Dortmund manager Edin Terzic brought on Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Gio Reyna in the 70th minute, with both wingers scoring goals to help carry their team to victory.
Terzic praised his team’s tenacity during the game, calling it “crazy, chaotic.”
“I’m happy we still won the game with all the setbacks… The positive thing is that we fought back.”
Enrico Maassen, the coach of Augsburg, claimed his team, which is only one slot above the relegation playoff spot, might learn from the “annoying” outcome.
“We engaged in a sizable game. If we continue to play like this, we will win.”
Before Jude Bellingham made a breakthrough in the 29th minute, Dortmund had the upper hand in the early exchanges.
The 19-year-old Englishman collected the ball on the edge of the box and sent the Augsburg defenders the wrong way, before drilling a low shot into the bottom right corner of the net.
Despite Dortmund’s dominance of possession, Augsburg hit back in the 40th minute, when Dion Beljo dispossessed a sloppy Nico Schlotterbeck before passing to Arne Maier, who hammered home.
However, Schlotterbeck quickly atoned for his error by heading in a free-kick from Julian Brandt to give Dortmund the lead (2-1).
Ermedin Demirovic scored Augsburg’s equalizer in injury time by chipping the ball over Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel for his sixth goal of the year.
Haller made his first competitive appearance since May 2022 when he came off the bench in the 61st minute to thunderous cheers from both home and away supporters.
Bynoe-Gittens and Reyna were added to the game as the home team began to lose more points.
With a beautifully curled shot from outside the box, 18-year-old Englishman Bynoe-Gittens gave the home team the lead back almost immediately.
David Colina of Augsburg responded less than a minute later, but Dortmund took back control two minutes later when US forward Reyna hoisted the ball over Rafal Gikiewicz and into the goal.
After scoring the game-winning goal, Reyna turned to Dortmund’s iconic yellow wall and appeared to make a reference to the ongoing dispute between national team coach Gregg Berhalter and the Reyna family that has consumed US football since the World Cup in Qatar by putting his fingers in his ears.
Terzic praised Reyna’s fortitude, noting that “he’s taken so much in the last few weeks.”
In a tense final few minutes, Dortmund managed to hang on for the three points that lifted them into sixth position in the standings.
In spite of being responsible for two of Augsburg’s three goals, defender Schlotterbeck hailed his team’s scorching offense for saving the defense.
The German defender said to broadcaster DAZN, “Quality up front – and no quality at the back.”
I’m not even sure if I should be pleased with the victory or upset about the three goals allowed.
In Sunday’s late game, Borussia Moenchengladbach host Bayer Leverkusen.
Read More: Premier League: Erling Haaland Scores Hat-trick As Manchester City Outplay Wolves
About The Author
[…] Read More: Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund Beat Augsburg On Sebastian Haller’s Return From Cancer […]