On Tuesday evening, Borussia Dortmund collapsed at Santiago Bernabéu as Real Madrid came from 2-0 down to win 5-2, simultaneously ending BvB’s perfect start in the Champions League.
Having endured a slow start to proceedings, Nuri Şahin’s side weathered the Madrid storm before shocking their hosts by racing into a two-goal lead.
Los Blancos pressure would follow, but despite rocking the woodwork twice and forcing Gregor Kobel into action, the Spanish outfit were unable to find a route back into the game prior to halftime.
After the interval, Madrid appeared to still be shellshocked from their first-half display, but within the space of five minutes, goals from Antonio Rüdiger and Vinicius Junior pulled the Spanish outfit back level.
Chances would come and go for both sides, but another flurry of goals would see Lucas Vázquez and Vinicius Junior complete Madrid’s comeback, with the latter claiming his hat-trick, as Dortmund fell to their third defeat of the campaign.
This is Felix Nmecha’s time to shine
Since arriving at the Westfalenstaion from VfL Wolfsburg in the summer of 2023, Nmecha has struggled to assert himself as a regular feature in the Dortmund midfield.
Whether it be due to injuries or inconsistent form, the 24-year-old has been unable to prove why BvB splashed €30 million on his name to replace Jude Bellingham.
Nevertheless, performances, most notably against Newcastle United in the Champions League last season, have shown glimpses of the ability Nmecha possesses, and against Madrid, it was evident why Die Schwarzgelben considered him the future of their midfield.
Nemcha was simply everywhere for Dortmund; registering ten successful duals, ten defensive actions, and 95% pass accuracy, the midfielder was unplayable—not forgetting that he completed 100% of his attempted dribbles, as per Fotmob.
This was only the 24-year-old’s second start of the campaign, and should he continue to provide Nuri Şahin with similar performances, then that number will only rise.
Nuri Şahin’s poor tactical decisions
Having started the game in a typical slow Dortmund fashion—something that has become synonymous with BvB this season—BvB were able to stun their hosts by gaining a 2-0 lead in the first half.
Nevertheless, after the interval, all of Dortmund’s hard work came crashing down with two disastrous substitutions made by Nuri Şahin.
Jamie Gittens and Donyell Malen were the two protagonists in what was turning out to be the latest instalment of Dortmund’s love affair with the Champions League.
Nevertheless, on either side of the hour mark, both players were withdrawn, leading to Dortmund losing a high percentage of their pace and directness in the final third.
This prevented the visitors from possessing an out ball, which ensured that Madrid were able to maintain pressure on Kobel’s goal, an issue they would ultimately pay the full price of as Lucas Vázquez completed Madrid’s remarkable comeback.
Jamie Gittens is Dortmund’s key attacking talent
Over the past twelve months, Jamie Gittens has been in and out of the Dortmund side, despite often showing his outstanding ability when called upon.
As well as this, the Englishman has often been criticised for being unable to replicate his form when included in the Dortmund starting XI.
However, against Carlo Ancelotti’s side, the Los Blancos defence did not know how to handle his pace, skill, and movement, causing neverending problems whether he was in possession of the ball or not.
As well as this, once Gittens was removed just before the hour mark, BvB lost their out ball, failing to have a pacey and tricky runner prepared to go in behind the Madrid backline, which consequently allowed the hosts to get back into the game.
It must also be remembered that Gittens is still only 20 years of age, and should he receive the consistent game time he truly deserves, then performances like this will become a far more regular occurrence.
GGFN | Will Shopland
