Dortmund Suffers 2-3 Home Game Loss Against Hoffenheim

In the seventh game of the season, Borussia Dortmund suffered its first defeat, abruptly ending its upward trajectory in the Bundesliga after the winter break. The match against TSG Hoffenheim, which concluded in a 2:3 (2:1) draw, resulted in a major disappointment for Dortmund’s team, led by coach Edin Terzic. The team was competing for the Champions League spots, and the goals conceded by Ihlas Bebou in the 2nd minute and Maximilian Beier in the 61st and 64th minutes were a blow. Over 81,365 spectators in the packed Dortmund stadium on Sunday witnessed the fourth-placed team miss the opportunity to increase their lead over their Leipzig rivals, who had lost in Munich, to four points.

Similar to the last two games in Wolfsburg (1:1) and Eindhoven (1:1), the runner-up team left much to be desired, despite their temporary lead secured by Donyell Malen (21st) and Nico Schlotterbeck (25th). In contrast, the visiting team rejoiced in their first victory after a streak of eight competitive games without a win, elevating them to the seventh position.

Emre Can, who was substituting for Mats Hummels in the back four due to a last-minute illness, made a significant error that led to BVB’s downfall. Can, who had been off-form for weeks, made a grave mispass to Nico Schlotterbeck that was capitalized upon by Bebou with a mighty shot from the right wing position that gave Hoffenheim a 1-0 lead.

However, the early deficit acted as a wake-up call for Dortmund, who had been somewhat passive of late. They quickly attempted to limit the damage. Marcel Sabitzer twice threatened the peat when he challenged TSG goalkeeper Oliver Baumann with a direct shot (7th) and a free kick (9th).

The pressure from BVB on the visitors’ goal steadily increased. Baumann, the goalkeeper, was able to prevent the equalizer with an exceptional save after a low shot from Malen (20th). However, he was powerless a minute later when Malen converted Marco Reus’s close-range header into a goal following a corner kick.

Hoffenheim’s first victory of the year

That Borussia managed to rectify Can’s second-minute mistake before the break was not only due to their strong performance but also the efficiency of set pieces. Central defender Schlotterbeck scored a header after a free kick from Reus.

Nevertheless, the guests remained a threat on the counterattack. When Bebou passed the ball, Tohumcu (27′) had a chance to equalize, but he failed to hit the ball correctly. Towards the end of the first half, TSG managed to alleviate some pressure but couldn’t create any decisive forward momentum.

After the break, BVB started off a bit slower and made another defensive error when Ryerson passed the ball to Hoffenheim’s Maximilian Beier in front of their own penalty area. Beier, however, squandered this opportunity and shot over the goal from 16 meters away.

Nonetheless, Beier soon took center stage. He completed a counterattack with a shot from the edge of the penalty area, which Schlotterbeck deflected in a way that was impossible for BVB keeper Alexander Meyer to stop. Just three minutes later, Beier once again dampened Borussia’s spirits and nudged Anton Stach’s pass over the line from close range. At the end of the game, a golden opportunity for Can in stoppage time was insufficient for Dortmund.