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Rejoicing Stuttgarters, mourning Dortmunders: defeat on the stadium anniversary

Photo:

Christof Koepsel/Getty Images

Golden wedding anniversary:

​​BVB celebrated the 50th birthday of the Westfalenstadion, now called Signal-Iduna-Park, before kick-off against VfB. The supporting program consisted of an impressive choreography, a line-up of 50 Dortmund April birthday children as well as special induction “children”: players from VfB Waltrop and TBV Mengede from 1974, who had played in the preliminary program of the opening game (i.e. before the men at the time game between BVB and Schalke 04), linked arms with the players. However, the VfB fans didn't want to join in the celebrations: the surprisingly loud people on board chanted unflattering chants ("Screw BVB").

The result:

It wasn't just the Stuttgart fans who acted as party crashers - the VfB players also enjoyed the role. VfB won 1-0 and is now level on points with FC Bayern, who were embarrassed in Heidenheim. However, Dortmund are no longer in a Champions League place. Click here for the match report.

First half:

The frame of the game was large, but unfortunately the picture was initially much smaller. The top game wasn't in the first half. Goals were missing and spectacular scenes were also in short supply. National player Karim Adeyemi had the best chance after a solo effort, but Alexander Nübel parried (31'). The VfB keeper had previously defused a shot from Emre Can (13th). For Stuttgart, top striker Serhou Guirassy missed a great chance with a header from close range (25th).

Boom!

BVB players Mats Hummels and Niclas Füllkrug had a painful encounter. Both of them collided heads in the VfB penalty area (42'). Attacker Füllkrug had to be treated on the pitch, was then checked again and was able to continue playing after a few minutes.

Second half:

Dortmund got better and ran - but there was no compelling chance to score. Füllkrug's header was no problem for Nübel (60'). But then a goal was scored - just on the other side. Stuttgart's top attacker Guirassy refined a strong VfB move over several stops (64th). National player Deniz Undav missed the opportunity to increase (70th). Dortmund now restricted VfB and

almost

equalized.

Into the sky:

Almost

, because Nico Schlotterbeck made a spectacular miss that he won't soon forget. After a save by Nübel, the ball fell at his feet and from a few meters he thundered it high over the goal instead of into the Stuttgart goal to equalize. After the game, he responded thinly to a question from Sky reporter Patrick Wasserziehr about the missed opportunity. The central defender described the question as “stupid because you have never played football before”. When Wasserziehr replied that he had been playing for 50 years, Schlotterbeck replied: "But not at this level."

Nine minutes of added time:

There had already been five minutes of added time in the first half, partly because of a thick cloud of black smoke in the Stuttgart fan block. And in the second half? It was nine minutes! One was quickly reminded of the conditions at the World Cup in Qatar, where there were often ten or more minutes of added time. Or the more recent times of tennis ball protests against the entry of investors. Well,

the stoppage time wasn't that long after all

.

However, it didn't change the outcome of the game: Dortmund ran unsuccessfully, Stuttgart missed their counterattack opportunities.

Match winner Nübel:

If you are attentive, you will have already noticed: A huge reason why BVB didn't score a goal this Saturday was VfB goalkeeper Nübel. The man who once went to Bayern in the belief that he would inherit Manuel Neuer (which he didn't want to do) made several world-class saves, directed shots around the posts and scratched balls off the line.

Just the start:

Mats Hummels recently described April as “perhaps the hardest” month of his career. The top Bundesliga game against VfB was just the first of numerous attractive upcoming games for BVB. For BVB, on the one hand, it's about qualifying for the Champions League again, which has now become more difficult due to the defeat against VfB. Leaders Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig are still waiting in the Bundesliga - and then there are the two quarter-final games in the Champions League against Atlético Madrid. So no time for sadness.