The German Bottlers
How Borussia Dortmund Collapsed at the Final Hurdle
J. C. Lai
AFTER MY ANALYSIS OF ARSENAL’S COLLAPSE IN THEIR TITLE RACE AGAINST MANCHESTER CITY LAST WEEK, I COULDN’T HAVE POSSIBLY IMAGINED A TEAM TO BOTTLE THE TITLE EVEN MORE THIS YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS PROVEN WRONG.
As Matchday 34 approached in the Bundesliga, it seemed like a sure thing that Edin Terzic’s Borussia Dortmund (BVB) had snatched the title off football giants Bayern Munich, reclaiming the title of German champions for the first time since 2011/12. With only a match to go, BVB held a two-point lead over Bayern Munich and were set to face ninth-place Mainz. Having sustained an eight-game unbeaten streak, virtually the whole world was supporting the in-form Dortmund side to take down 10-year consecutive domestic champions Bayern Munich, proving once and for all that the Bundesliga is not a farmer’s league. I mean, who doesn’t love an underdog story once in a while?
The footballing world was in for a surprise. Suffering a remarkable physiological and psychological collapse in the first twenty-five minutes, Borussia Dortmund found themselves 2-0 down against Mainz, following a penalty miss from Dortmund’s top scorer Sebastian Haller and two defensive collapses by a seemingly impenetrable defence. However, a rejuvenated Dortmund side in the second half pulled one back in the sixty-ninth minute before equalising in injury time. This seemingly put them a point ahead of Bayern Munich, who was suffering from an equally mediocre performance, which saw them neck and neck with 11th-place Koln after an equaliser by Austrian international Ljubicic in the eighty-first minute. With the dying minutes left in the game, it seemed as if Dortmund had managed to clinch the title off Thomas Tuchel’s side even after a shocking performance by Dortmund. However, out of nowhere, a phenomenal shot from 20-year-old break-through wonder-kid, Jamal Musiala, saw the German giants leapfrog their rivals into first place and steal the Bundesliga crown, winning the title on goal difference. As the full-time whistle was blown, the infamously chaotic Signal Iduna Park was silent, as Borussia Dortmund fans came to the realisation that they, like so many others before them, had bottled the title.
Bayern Munich’s victory against Koln marks their eleventh consecutive title win in the Bundesliga, solidifying their rule in the German footballing stratosphere. It brings a positive end to a chaotic season for the Bavarian side, which had undergone the mid-year sacking of manager Julian Nagelsmann and replacement with ex-Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel. This was coupled with an early exit from the Champions League and a shock exit from the German cup DFB-Porkal in April against SC Freiburg.
However, for the footballing world and especially for German football fans, Bayern Munich’s victory merely marks another title won by the most successful club in German football history, pushing the narrative that the Bundesliga is a ‘farmers league.’ The distaste amidst the footballing world was encapsulated during Bayern’s post-game trophy ceremony, where the European giants were deafened by the booing of the opposing Koln side.
Despite BVB’s unfortunate collapse during the final hurdle of the title race, it provides encouraging signs for the squad that they are more than capable of contending for the Bundesliga title despite Bayern’s superstar roster, giving them the necessary confidence boost for the upcoming season. Moreover, Munich’s marginal victory provides a stern warning that the Bundesliga may not be a farmer’s league for much longer, with contenders getting stronger year by year.