2013-2014 Bundesliga Match Day 2: Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Braunschweig [R]

footyfan1 · Aug 16, 2013

2013-2014 Bundesliga Match Day 2

Borussia Dortmund

versus

Eintracht Braunschweig

Sunday, August 18, 2013, Westfalenstadion, Dortmund (Kickoff: 5:30 PM CET)

Borussia Dortmund’s opponent’s for their home opener, Bundesliga promotees Eintracht Braunschweig, are actually one of the six current Bundesliga clubs who have an all-time positive record against BVB. Borussia Dortmund’s all-time record against Eintracht Braunschweig is 11 victories, 10 draws and 13 defeats. Eintracht Braunschweig has actually won the last two meetings between the clubs. “The Lions” knocked BVB out of the 1989/1990 German Cup in the second round with a 3-2 victory at Dortmund and repeated the feat in the first round of the 2005/2006 German Cup. This time in the first round, winning 2-1 on August 22, 2005 at Braunschweig. Sunday’s match will be the first Bundesliga meeting between the two clubs since the 30th match day of the 1984/1985 Bundesliga season. Borussia Dortmund took a 4-2 decision in Braunschweig on May 11, 1985.

Last week, Eintracht Braunschweig opened their first Bundesliga season since that 1984/1985 season with an unlucky 1-0 home defeat to Werder Bremen. By most accounts, “The Lions” were the better team. Borussia Dortmund of course, opened its season with a 4-0 victory at FC Augsburg.

Borussia Dortmund’s new attacking midfielder, Armenian Henrik Mkhitaryan, is expected to make his BVB debut before the home fans on Sunday.

I expect BVB to break its two-match losing streak against Eintracht Braunschweig with a nice victory.

We will see on Sunday……

The following information is from the Borussia Dortmund website. The information is NOT OFFICIAL.

Borussia Dortmund Projected Starting Lineup:Weidenfeller – Grosskreutz, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer – Bender, Sahin, Blaszczykowski (Kuba), Reus (Mkhitaryan), Aubameyang – Lewandowski
Head Coach: Jürgen Klopp

Borussia Dortmund Projected Substitutes Bench:Langerak (GK) – Kirch, Durm, Sokratis, Kehl, Hofmann, Mkhitaryan, Ducksch, Schieber

Questionable For Borussia Dortmund: None

Out For Borussia Dortmund:Gündogan (back issues), Piszczek (recovering from hip surgery)

Eintracht Braunschweig Projected Starting Lineup: Petkovic – Elabdellaoui, Bicakcic, Correia, Reichel – Theuerkauf – Kruppke, Kratz, Caligiuri, Boland - Jackson

Head Coach: Torsten Liberknecht

Eintracht Braunschweig Projected Substitutes Bench: Davari (GK), Kessel, Perthel, Washausen, Erwig-Drüppel, Hochscheidt, Kluft, Pfitzner, Vrancic, Ademi, Korte, Oehrl

Questionable For Eintracht Braunschweig: Unknown

Out For Eintracht Braunschweig: Dogan (bruised tailbone), Henn (knee laceration), Kumbela (not match fit)

Referee – Peter Sippel

Peter Sippel will call a Bundesliga match involving BVB for the 20th time in his career. The last time Sippel called a Bundesliga match involving BVB was for BVB’s 4-0 victory over SC Freiburg on the final day of the 2011/2012 season. BVB’s overall record under Sippel’s supervision is positive with 12 victories, 5 draws and 2 defeats.

Sideline Assistants: Christian Leicher & Markus Schüller - Fourth Official: Markus Wingenbach

Projected Spectator Status: Westfalenstadion is expected to be sold out. However, there will be about 1,000 tickets available for the guest area on match day.

The Bavarian Oak · Aug 18, 2013

This is going to get ugly for Braunschweig. Welcome to the 1. BL.

Nermin Kolašinac · Aug 18, 2013

DieRotenV2 said: ↑

This is going to get ugly for Braunschweig. Welcome to the 1. BL.
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Braunschweig had a lot of chances in the first match against Werder Bremen. Dortmund is another level compared to Werder Bremen but there's always a chance, right?
Bicakcic vs Lewandowski.

Berchtesgaden · Aug 18, 2013

Mkhitaryan to start as is Sokratis. Subotic and Reus will begin on the bench.

Gunning4Chelsea · Aug 18, 2013

10th minute....Grosskreutz struggling

we look congested upfront...

Gunning4Chelsea · Aug 18, 2013

Mikhitaryan trigger happy--balloons two shots - very anxious to get on the score sheet at home

SirManchester · Aug 18, 2013

Braunschweig organized but will always be difficult for new players to come in and gel right away. Right now things a bit scattered up front. Also Kuba and Grosskreutz just not on same level and not providing much else than running hard and basics.

MatthausSammer · Aug 18, 2013

If I hadn't known the standings of these two teams last season, I would never have guessed that Brauschweig was only recently promoted. Good stuff on attack and defence from them. We're not neccessarily playing poorly, but we're struggling with creating chances.

SirManchester · Aug 18, 2013

What a build up launched by Hummels and what an assist by the same man. Well taken goal by Hofmann who will have quite the impact this season.

MatthausSammer · Aug 18, 2013

Hofmann scores after an excellent pass by Hummels bombing forward causes Brauschweig to concede that bit of space needed to convert. Hofmann reminds me a great deal of Müller in the way he instinctively knows how to move in the final third to score.

MatthausSammer · Aug 18, 2013

Hofmann is clearly repaying the faith showed in him by Klopp and BVB management when he stayed while Leitner and Bittencourt were sent away.

Penalty. Reus converts. 2-0

Berchtesgaden · Aug 18, 2013

Thanks for the updates guys. Appreciated. Nice to see we have a deep midfield this year.

MatthausSammer · Aug 18, 2013

Brauschweig score from a corner. 2-1. That won't help with GD, but we should pull it out.

MatthausSammer · Aug 18, 2013

Set-pieces are an ongoing problem, clearly. But, overall, three points is three points, so we can take that away. I only saw the second half, but from what I saw, Hummels was MOTM today. Solid defensively, instigated the first goal, and constantly helped everything build up.

Gunning4Chelsea · Aug 18, 2013

i thought it was a very pedestrian performance by BVB today. Reus made the difference. Credit to Eintracht for effort and organization but we were in control all game, just the final ball was missing. Even at 0-0, I had no doubts.

Hummels MOTM. Mikhitaryan was piss poor. I know he is better than his first showing; he tried hard to make an impression.

Ballsy move by Kloppo to sub out PEA, who is sheer quality, for Hoffman. Smart finish by the youngster. As I said, Reus was the key in creating offensive chances at the tail end of the game.

This team is built for three competitions. My only worry continues to remain, the liabilities of LB and RB.

Zarastro · Aug 18, 2013

Is there still anyone willing to claim that Klopp doesn't give young talents a chance?

footyfan1 · Aug 18, 2013

Zarastro said: ↑

Is there still anyone willing to claim that Klopp doesn't give young talents a chance?
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Of course there is. But please don't get him going......

SirManchester · Aug 18, 2013

Thought Aubameyang was actually not good at all. Too direct and lacking creativity. That was my initial concern with him before season.

Overall we can't be too critical, certainly not of Mikhitaryan because he is adjusting still and this is his first match. Things will click in attack eventually. Mikhitaryan is more like Kagawa than Götze so the rest have to get used to that kind of player again. We should be more concerned with conceding at the back like we did.

footyfan1 · Aug 18, 2013

SirManchester said: ↑

Thought Aubameyang was actually not good at all. Too direct and lacking creativity. That was my initial concern with him before season.

Overall we can't be too critical, certainly not of Mikhitaryan because he is adjusting still and this is his first match. Things will click in attack eventually. Mikhitaryan is more like Kagawa than Götze so the rest have to get used to that kind of player again. We should be more concerned with conceding at the back like we did.
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Don't forget the nervousness that has to come with playing before 80,000 + home fans for the very first time. Some BVB players have stated in the past that some guys never get used to it......

Nermin Kolašinac · Aug 18, 2013

Please, can someone here tell me how Bicakcic did today against a team like BVB?

Zarastro · Aug 18, 2013

He was praised by the German commentator once and he did quite well in the first 70 minutes. However he also caused the penalty and made one or two mistakes earlier which could have lead to a goal for Dortmund.

Arlo · Aug 18, 2013

SirManchester said: ↑

Thought Aubameyang was actually not good at all. Too direct and lacking creativity. That was my initial concern with him before season.
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imo looked much better once he was put on the right side

ayanb11 · Aug 19, 2013

Do you guys think Sokratis might have a shot at being a starter for Borussia? Or was Klopp just giving Subotic a break after the internationals like he did with Reus?

MatthausSammer · Aug 19, 2013

ayanb11 said: ↑

Do you guys think Sokratis might have a shot at being a starter for Borussia? Or was Klopp just giving Subotic a break after the internationals like he did with Reus?
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Subotic and Hummels have a good partnership. Why mess with it? Sokratis may heavily rotate, but I doubt he starts.

footyfan1 · Aug 19, 2013

MatthausSammer said: ↑

Subotic and Hummels have a good partnership. Why mess with it? Sokratis may heavily rotate, but I doubt he starts.
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I think we have three "starters" at CB now. Just two will start each match. As you said, there will be heavy rotation. I don't care what kind of partnership Hummels and Subotic have. BVB isn't going to pay 10M for a starting caliber central defender and then park his ass on the bench. Sokratis would not have turned down Leverkusen for us if he wasn't promised significant playing time. That "partnership" you speak of will now become one between the three players.