When Messi spun and Favre staggered: Dortmund's last game against Barcelona

There would certainly have been a better moment for BVB to begin the difficult away trip to Barcelona than on November 27, 2019. BVB lost 4-0 at FC Bayern Munich, and their attempt to make amends failed with an embarrassing 3-3 draw Paderborn. So now the away trip to Catalonia, where FC Barcelona made full use of the last features of their successful era.

None other than Lionel Messi is facing his 700th competitive game for the Blaugrana against BVB. He and his team did not lack motivation. A few months earlier, Barca seemed to be confidently heading for No. 6, but after a 3-0 first-leg win in the semi-final against Liverpool, there was a legendary 0-4 in the second leg – Klopp, Alexander-Arnold, the corner, Origi…

“That's a thing of the past, let's let bygones be bygones. We're thinking about the future and the big games that are coming,” says Luis Suarez in a kicker interview six months later, but states bluntly: “We are the best team in the world. ”

This will also be felt by BVB, who in 2019 are still (more than today) nostalgic for the Klopp era that ended a few years earlier. Since the summer of 2018, Lucien Favre has been allowed to try out after Thomas Tuchel, Peter Bosz and Peter Stöger. In his first season, he was only two points behind champions Bayern. In the summer, BVB will, among other things, add Mats Hummels, who will return, Julian Brandt will come from Leverkusen and they are hoping for a lot from national player Nico Schulz, who is worth over 20 million euros. It should be a transfer coup.

Leader Gladbach – BVB top scorer Sancho

However, after eleven match days and the 4-0 defeat in Munich, BVB is only in 6th place and therefore far away from their own expectations. Yes, the gap to the leaders, who do not come from Munich but are called Borussia Mönchengladbach, is only six points, but when BVB almost embarrassed themselves against promoted and bottom team Paderborn a few days before the guest game in Barcelona, ​​all the sirens blared. BVB barely manages to turn a 3-0 half-time deficit (!) into a draw in their own stadium, but Favre is counted. And now he has to collect arguments in Barcelona, ​​of all places. A new beginning is announced without further ado.

Four full-backs: BVB at Barca in 2019.
imago images/VI Images

The guest appearance at Camp Nou. Favre does not deviate from his 4-2-3-1, but offers four trained full-backs. Raphael Guerreiro and veteran Lukasz Piszczek flank central defenders Hummels and Manuel Akanji in front of goalkeeper Roman Bürki. One line further forward, Schulz and Achraf Hakimi play alongside Marco Reus behind the false nine Brandt. Axel Witsel and Julian Weigl form the double six.

However, even the best line-up that Favre could have found these days would probably be powerless against this Barcelona, ​​which, led by 700-game man Messi, is proving to be too big. Messi set up Suarez to make it 1-0 in the 29th minute, made it 2-0 four minutes later and set up Griezmann to make it 3-0 again after the break.

“For Barca, five unleashed minutes of player of the game are enough,” it says later in kicker. “With the ball, BVB lacked presence and precision, the pressing against the ball was too half-hearted, there was a lack of assertiveness in the direct duels and the recipe against Messi. Inexplicable bad passes in their own half rounded off the picture.” Sancho's consolation goal is irrelevant.

Barca wants the title – but fails badly in the Corona tournament against FC Bayern

Barca, which starts with Messi, Suarez and the ex-Borussian Dembelé, is controlled centrally by Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Frenkie de Jong and defensively by Sergi Roberto, Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet and Marc-André ter Stegen, among others sets, moves away from the group – the first leg ended 0-0, but is now more or less worthless – and is behind BVB Troubled times lie ahead for Paderborn and Barcelona. “Now things are getting tight for Favre,” is also the headline in kicker. “Turnaround, rebirth, miracle? A new start after Munich (0:4) and Paderborn (3:3)? Unfortunately no.”

Favre unexpectedly managed to stabilize in the following weeks. By the spring, BVB will once again become No. 1 pursuer in the Bundesliga against FC Bayern, who have now taken first place. In the Champions League the journey continues one more round to the round of 16, where it ends against PSG after 2:1 and 0:2.

Meanwhile, Barca marches into the round of 16 undefeated, drawing 1-1 in the first leg against Napoli. The second leg will then take half a year to arrive. The outbreak of the corona pandemic is paralyzing football and accelerating the end of the successful Messi era. The dream of a pot with a handle is bursting, more quickly explodes. At the tournament in Lisbon, Barca failed in the quarter-finals – historically with 2:8 to Bayern.