Borussia Dortmund Draws 1-1 with Mainz, Coach Terzic Faces Tough Times
Borussia Dortmund tied 1-1 with Mainz at home in the Bundesliga on Tuesday. This adds to their ongoing challenges and makes things harder for coach Edin Terzic.
Borussia Dortmund played to a 1-1 draw with Mainz at home in the Bundesliga on Tuesday. The team, led by coach Edin Terzic, is facing ongoing difficulties. Dortmund started well, taking the lead with a fantastic free-kick from Julian Brandt. However, Mainz responded late in the first half, with Sepp van den Berg scoring from close range. In the final minute, USA forward Gio Reyna scored for Dortmund, but the goal was disallowed due to offside.
Terzic said to reporters, “Yes, I think I’ll still be the coach for Dortmund in 2024” when asked about his future with the team.
“It’s been a disappointing evening with a disappointing result, and we’ll carry this feeling into the break.”
Even though they finished first in a Champions League group with teams like Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Newcastle, Dortmund has only won one of their last eight league matches.
Even though they finished first in a Champions League group with teams like Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Newcastle, Dortmund has only won one of their last eight league matches.
“Not everything is the coach’s fault,” said Dortmund captain Emre Can to Sky. “We’ve shown improvement in the Champions League.”
“If the ball hits the crossbar instead of going into the net, it’s not his fault.”
Dortmund welcomed Mainz for the first time since May. In that previous match, the home team only secured a 2-2 draw, leading to Bayern Munich surpassing them and winning the Bundesliga title.
Terzic mentioned on Monday that the previous collapse “had no impact whatsoever” on the team’s preparation for the match. His team started strong, dominating a Mainz side that has only won once this season.
Mainz managed to hold on initially, but after about half an hour, Dortmund finally scored. Julian Brandt delivered a skillful free-kick that went past Mainz goalkeeper Daniel Batz.
The dominance from Dortmund persisted until just before halftime when Mainz leveled the score. Liverpool loanee Van den Berg scored by heading in a rebound from a corner.
Dortmund’s goalkeeper Gregor Kobel managed to touch the header, but video replays revealed the ball had crossed the line by inches. This marked Mainz’s first goal since November.
Dortmund’s goalkeeper Gregor Kobel managed to touch the header, but video replays revealed the ball had crossed the line by inches. This marked Mainz’s first goal since November.
In the second half, the home team controlled possession in a growingly tense match but couldn’t secure a victory. Mainz, on the other hand, created a few half-chances on counter-attacks.
Dortmund ended the game with 10 players when Sebastien Haller suffered an ankle injury after Terzic had already made all five substitutions.
In another match, newly promoted Darmstadt fought back three times to secure a 3-3 draw against Hoffenheim.
Ihlas Bebou scored two goals and earned a penalty, converted by Andrej Kramaric, seemingly putting Hoffenheim on track for victory. However, Tim Skarke from Darmstadt scored his second goal with five minutes left, salvaging a point for his team.
A fantastic second-half goal by Justin Njinmah earned Werder Bremen an important point in a 1-1 draw against RB Leipzig at home.
Despite Leipzig dominating the game and holding the lead from a Lois Openda goal, Njinmah skillfully evaded two defenders and smashed a powerful long-range shot into the net from outside the box, equalizing with just 15 minutes left.
Bremen forward Leonardo Bittencourt expressed, “Every point is valuable, especially against such a strong team. Call me crazy, but I believe we should have won.”
Bremen, who was promoted in 2022 after a year in the second division, has now created a six-point lead over the bottom four teams in what appears to be a season-long battle to avoid relegation.
Leipzig said goodbye to their long-time player Emil Forsberg, who played his final match for the club. After nine years in Saxony, Forsberg is moving to the New York Red Bulls.
“I’m a bit disappointed,” Forsberg told Sky. “I would have loved to come away with a win.”
Bremen’s draw marked the first occasion this season that the 2004 Bundesliga champions earned a point against any of the top seven teams.
Leipzig missed an opportunity to equalize in points with the reigning champions Bayern, who have two games yet to play.
Bayern is set to face Wolfsburg, led by former coach Niko Kovac, on Wednesday, while the current league leaders, Bayer Leverkusen, will be playing at home against Bochum.
