Dortmund’s Defeat and Leverkusen’s Draw Offer Advantage to Bayern Munich

BERLIN, Oct 5 (Reuters) – Borussia Dortmund suffered a setback in the Bundesliga, losing 2-1 against Union Berlin at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Saturday. This unexpected defeat comes shortly after their resounding 7-1 victory over Celtic, their largest European win, earlier in the week. Dortmund’s lackluster performance was evident, as they failed to replicate the aggression seen in their previous match. “We had a weak start and apart from a few actions the entire first half was weak,” commented Nuri Sahin, Dortmund’s coach in his debut season.

Sahin emphasized the importance of beginning matches assertively, particularly in challenging stadiums like that of Union Berlin. “At this level and in this stadium, you need to be present from the start,” he remarked. Dortmund dropped to seventh in the standings, now holding ten points. Their challenging situation was exacerbated by the absence of forward Karim Adeyemi, who was out due to injury, alongside Julien Duranville and Gio Reyna.

Union Berlin capitalized on Dortmund’s vulnerability. Kevin Vogt gave Union the lead with a penalty in the 26th minute, breaking his decade-long Bundesliga goal drought. Yorbe Vertessen extended the lead with a goal right before halftime. Despite Dortmund defender Julian Ryerson scoring in the second half, the visitors were unable to equalize.

Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen experienced similar woes, drawing 2-2 with newly-promoted Holstein Kiel despite an initial two-goal advantage. For Leverkusen’s Spanish coach Xabi Alonso, marking his two-year anniversary, it was a disappointing result. “I wouldn’t say arrogance, but there’s a bit of complacency. We need to stay concentrated,” Alonso remarked regarding his team’s mindset. Leverkusen celebrated their club’s 120th anniversary with commemorative jerseys but failed to capitalize on their early lead.

This downturn for both Dortmund and Leverkusen allows Bayern Munich an unchallenged lead at the top of the league, despite not playing. Bayern will travel to face second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, while Freiburg claimed a 1-0 victory against Werder Bremen, and Wolfsburg triumphed 3-1.