Borussia Dortmund vs. SV Darmstadt 98: Winners and Losers from Bundesliga
Darmstadt scored a 90th-minute equaliser to rescue a 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park on Sunday, allowing Bayern Munich to open up a four-point gap at the top of the Bundesliga ahead of next week's "Der Klassiker" meeting.
A stunning opening goal from Marcel Heller gave Darmstadt the lead in the first half, but BVB shook off the rust in the second period and turned the game on its head thanks to two smart finishes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The away side piled forward in the dying embers of the match in an attempt to force an equaliser and were rewarded for their persistence, with captain Aytac Sulu slamming home a loose ball after a free-kick wasn't cleared properly.
Here, Bleacher Report picks its winners and losers from the game.
Winner: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Borussia Dortmund
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed a fair few chances, including one from about two yards at the back post, but made amends by netting a second-half double to continue his electric start to the season.
“Aubameyang: nine goals in seven games season. His self-imposed target of 20 this season suddenly looks too small an ambition,” SuperSport’s Gary Al-Smith tweeted after the second had gone in. If this form continues, he’ll be breezing past that initial figure by Christmas.
His ability to split wide and drop in makes him a perfect fit for Thomas Tuchel’s BVB vision, allowing him to play a flexible role in the build-up play but still be present in the box to convert chances consistently. Both of his goals were well-taken efforts.
Loser: Roman Burki, Borussia Dortmund
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There wasn’t an awful lot Roman Burki could do to stop the two Darmstadt shots that found the net, but questions remain over some of the attributes to his game.
Once again, he looked a little alarmed whenever the ball entered his box, failing to display confidence or authority in dealing with crosses or longer punts. One free-kick delivery in the first half had him inexplicably worried, eventually punching clear awkwardly despite seeing the flight of the ball clearly, and he could have been more decisive on several occasions late in the second half.
Roman Weidenfeller’s form dropped off badly last season, prompting the purchase of Burki, but so far his flappy hands have been a weakness in Borussia Dortmund’s armour. The Swiss international will need to up his game in this respect if he wants to be considered the permanent solution between the sticks.
Winners: Luca Caldirola and Aytac Sulu, Darmstadt
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In a game where Borussia Dortmund managed 77 percent of possession and 16 shots, per WhoScored.com, there are no prizes for guessing who the most stressed players on the pitch were: Darmstadt’s defenders.
Luca Caldirola and Aytac Sulu, the centre-half pairing, were absolutely fantastic all afternoon, with the former risking his body to commit to some heroic blocks and the latter netting the late equaliser to earn a point for his side.
Both demonstrated impeccable concentration, true bravery when called for and impressive tactical rigidity, sticking to the game plan and trusting in their manager. Rewards were reaped.
Losers: Referee Robert Hartmann and His Officials
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Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Darmstadt was an exciting game for fans and neutrals alike, but the standard of officiating put forth by Robert Hartmann and his crew was extremely poor. It's arguable it seriously effected the final result.
The home side were incorrectly called offside three times in the second half, with one of the calls negating a clear foul on Sokratis Papastathopoulos in the box, which should have been given as a penalty. A lack of consistency was shown throughout, with soft free-kicks given (such as the one for Darmstadt's late equaliser) while firmer fouls were ignored.
Dortmund fans will perhaps rightly feel aggrieved by the officials' display.
Winner: Dirk Schuster, Darmstadt
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Dirk Schuster’s star continues to rise in tandem with Darmstadt’s; their achievements over the last three seasons represent a fairytale story tailor-made for modern football and social media.
After seven games, Darmstadt sit ninth in the Bundesliga with 10 points. They’ve beaten Bayer Leverkusen away, Werder Bremen at home and have now grabbed a valuable point at the legendary Signal Iduna Park.
The draw goes down as a victory for everyone involved with the club—but in particular Schuster, whose tactical setup for this match was spot on. Sitting deep frustrated Borussia Dortmund for long periods, and their counter-attacking goal to open the scoring will be one of the best you’ll see this season.
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