Bayarena in the weekend experienced special emotions. It was the day the coach Xabi Alonso and center -back Jonathan Tah said goodbye to the Bayarena roof, where they devoted the most beautiful years.
A farewell party is expected to be complete with the victory. But, Dortmund came and wrote a completely different script, a sad “Waltz” for the home team, but it was a song of hope for himself on the journey to conquer the Champions League ticket.
Entering the match with the pressure to win to chase Freiburg in the Top 4 race, Dortmund understands that there is no room for distraction, no matter how passionate atmosphere at Bayarena is.
However, Leverkusen is the team that joins in the air. The home team controlled the game, constantly creating hinting phases. Florian Wirtz, with magic legs, crept through the gap, launched passes to tear the Dortmund defense.
Leverkusen’s pressure was finally concretized. In the 30th minute, Jeremie Frimpong shot coldly at the net of Gregor Kobel, causing the whole Bayarena bridge to explode in joy. Goals as an early gift for Alonso and Tah.
But, that joy is not short. Dortmund proves that they don’t come to Bayarena as the background for others’ party. Just 3 minutes after the goal, Julian Brandt made the whole school’s bridge silent. A phase of handling, the ball is straight into the net, leveling the score 1-1.
The equalizer was like a cold water in the home team’s excitement, and turned the match.
Not stopping there, 43 minutes, Julian Ryerson’s turn spoke out. A left shot to give the opponent’s goalkeeper a chance to break, bringing Dortmund 2-1 right before the first half closed. The real shock for Alonso’s teachers and students.
In the second half, Leverkusen put all his efforts to find a goal. They worked hard, creating opportunities, but the impatience and good organized defense of Dortmund rejected all efforts. On the contrary, the sharp counterattacks of the visitors were extremely dangerous.
In the 73rd minute, Karim Adeyemi with the speed and ingenuity with delicate finish, raising the score to 3-1 for Dortmund. The door of victory seemed to open before the eyes of the Golden-Sup. And just 4 minutes later, Serhou Guirassy put an end to Leverkusen’s fragile hope with the fourth goal.
The tireless efforts of the home team only helped them get an honorary goal in the injury time due to Jonas Hofmann’s work. But it was all too late. The final whistle sounded, the score was 4-2 in favor of Dortmund.
Brandt is the brightest star. The equalizer at his key time has revived the whole team spirit. Not only that, during the match, Brandt is a permanent threat with skillful walks, tactical vision and sharp passes like razors, constantly opening opportunities for teammates.
The peak performance against Leverkusen is a clear testament to the importance of Brandt in the race to win tickets to the Champions League of Dortmund.
This victory is not only 3 valuable points to help Dortmund continue to pressure Freiburg, with a distance of 1 point less than 1 point, but also a strong assertion for their ambition and bravery.
The Golden-Men team turned the farewell party at Bayarena into a memorable afternoon in their own way-one afternoon that they “broke the crowd” spectacularly, and then lit brightly the Champions League dream.
Alonso and Tah probably had an incomplete farewell memory, but with Dortmund, this was an important step, a strong mental medicine before the decisive match of the season.
