Post Match Observations: BVB Overwhelm Borussia Mönchengladbach to Stay in the Title Race

With two matchdays to go, Borussia Dortmund are still keeping up with Bayern Munich in the title chase. The team managed another important step today by beating Borussia Mönchengladbach in convincing fashion. and almost all of the 90 minutes had Borussia Dortmund written over them. The first half today was some of the best football I’ve seen from the team this season, and if they can perform like this, six points might be waiting in the last two games.

Sébastien Haller Had His Performance of the Season

Sébastien Haller left me in absolute awe today. I knew he was a good striker, but today’s game absolutely showed why Kehl and Watzke were willing to throw 31 million euros at Ajax Amsterdam in order to acquire the services of the Ivorian international. For the first goal, Haller drove the ball beautifully onto the edge of Gladbach’s penalty before releasing a shot that eventually ended up being a goal from a very aware Donyell Malen. He was then brought down in the box for a somewhat soft penalty (there were two of those today), and he scored two goals from The Poacher’s Handbook, with one of them being a beautiful backheel flick. Haller started attacks, drew penalties and finished chances off himself. What more could you ask for?

Donyell Malen Simply Can’t be Contained

Just like Haller, Donyell Malen lit up the field today, just like he has been doing week in week out for the last two months. Donny cashed in two assists and one goal today, and he could maybe have gotten more if Terzic hadn’t substituted him in the 69th minute. Some of the things Malen did today was absolutely out of this world, and if he keeps this up, Dortmund will have at least one attacker set for a foreseeable future.

Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images

Also, can we talk about his reaction to being subbed off? Because I enjoyed it very much. Malen is clearly hungry for more, and that’s the exact mentality we need in order to claim an away win in Augsburg next week.

Can Dortmund Finally Kill Their Horrendous Away Form?

Dortmund have two games left — Augsburg away and Mainz at home. Even though Bo Svensson’s Mainz can be a dangerous team, I’m much more worried about the game against Enrico Maaßen’s Augsburg next week. Dortmund sit 4th in the table on away form with a goal difference of -2. And while Augsburg are one of the lesser teams in the league, any team (for example Bochum and Schalke), can beat Dortmund on their own ground.

I don’t care if Edin Terzic needs to start Thomas Meunier in order to win against Augsburg. The team has one final chance to flip their away form, and let’s just hope the team are up for the challenge — otherwise I’ll catch a soft depression.

Your Thoughts?

Are you also scared of the Augsburg game like me? And also — in a percentage, how would you rate our chances of lifting the title at the end of the season? I’m on 23%.