Post-match Reaction: Borussia Blow it in Bologna

Borussia Dortmund tumbled down the Champions League table on Tuesday after a terrible showing in Italy. Bologna earned their first ever UCL win against last season’s finalists and did so in emphatic fashion.

Before talking about the game, however, it is important to talk about Dortmund’s approach. I go into more detail below, but Sahin decided to bench two key players; club captain, Emre Can, and Julian Brandt. It was a statement from Nuri Sahin that things had to change and, unfortunately for Dortmund, they did not. The additional attackers failed to create opportunities and Giovanni Reyna struggled to pull strings as the midfield was overloaded.

Bologna, who are a good side despite what the UCL table suggests, were knocking on the door early in the game with Orsolini forcing a save after several chances on goal. Borussia Dortmund earned a penalty after Emil Holm dragged down Waldemar Anton in the box. Guirassy converted his Panenka and Dortmund were ahead! The first half saw Bologna dominate the traffic but poor finishing led them to fluff their chances.

The second half saw Bologna adjust well. They grew into the game and quickly found their shooting form. The pivotal change was Jens Odgaard coming into the midfield and the Dane was both creating chances and harrying Giovanni Reyna. In the 70th minute, a long ball from Lykogiannis found Odgard who squared the ball to Dallinga for an open goal. Bologna had scored by beating Dortmund’s defense in the footrace and quickly doubled their lead through a seemingly identical pass from Lykogiannis. This one made its way to Iling-Junior in the box who converted in the 72nd minute.

Sahin through players on the field to try and recover but it was simply not enough. Borussia Dortmund were outplayed, outworked, and outsmarted once again. Here are the highlights:

And here are my take aways:

Sahin’s Changes Failed

As mentioned, Nuri Sahin came into this game with a new look lineup. Emre Can, Julian Brandt, and Ramy Bensebaini were all dropped as Duranville, Reyna, and Beier came into the fold. Pascal Gross was shifted out wide as a right-back and the side played in a 4-4-2 with Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier up front. It was a more attacking lineup that sought to rectify Dortmund’s attacking issues after poor Bundesliga performances.

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It did not work. Borussia Dortmund were bullied in midfield and could not get the ball into Bologna’s box. Serhou Guirassy was forced to come deep to create numbers in the center of the pitch but the team struggled to create meaningful chances. For context – Bologna’s winger, Dan Ndoye, had eight touches inside Dortmund’s penalty area. Borussia Dortmund’s entire midfield and attack had eight as well. Unfortunately for Dortmund, Sahin’s changes failed to offer any solutions and his seat got a whole lot hotter.

Bologna Were Dominant in Different Way

Borussia Dortmund’s last three losses were similar showings. Bayer Leverkusen, Holstein Kiel, and Eintracht Frankfurt all beat Dortmund with a similar blueprint – they conceded possession, sat deep, and relied on fast-breaks to score goals. But Vincenzo Italiano’s Bologna side had very different plans.

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The Italian contingent refused to cede ground and took the game to Borussia Dortmund’s midfield. Tommaso Pobega, Lewis Fergurson, and Jens Odegaard were dominant throughout the match with the former two splitting 12 recoveries between them. Felix Nmecha and Giovanni Reyna were completely beaten and struggled to influence the game. Bologna still kept the verticality that punished Dortmund in the past few games as both their goals were the result of long passes out from the back but they won possession in midfield.

This led Bologna to dominate almost every stat; expected goals, shots on target, total shots, big chances, corners, passes, possession, touches in the opponent’s box, and duels won. This was not just a defeat, this was a massacre with a misleading scoreline.

Cannot Get Any Worse

“It cannot get any worse”. This is a sentiment shared by many Borussia Dortmund fans and, I would reckon, many players. 2025 has started with four straight losses, 11 goals conceded, and a limp attack. This pessimistic writer offers a counterpoint: things can get worse!

It is difficult to look at this performance and be anything close to optimistic about Dortmund’s short, medium, and long term futures. The young players like Gittens or Duranville are struggling in the absence of a positive environment, the core players like Brandt or Schlotterbeck continue to find new lows, and the entire team looks unfit to be playing top level football. A new coach will offer a needed but likely temporary solution. Borussia Dortmund’s issues are both cultural and material. The team is pathetic and, unfortunately, will be for some time longer.

One last thought – I thought Julian Brandt’s display today was the epitome of Dortmund’s problems. Brandt donned on the number 10 jersey heading into this season and heralded as the star who could lead the team into a new era. He has been poor to start the year and was deservedly benched. How does he respond to this setback? By simply not caring in his fifteen minute cameo.