Borussia Dortmund suffered a heavy 2:5 defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League, and the key moment of the match happened after coach Nuri Sahin decided to change tactics and switch to a five-back system. That decision, which was supposed to bring stability, ended up causing Borussia to lose control of the game, which begged the question: Did Sahin make a tactical mistake?
A tactic gone wrong
With Borussia leading 2-0 by the 55th minute, Sahin decided to withdraw speedy winger Jamie Gittens and bring on centre-back Waldemar Anton. By switching to a formation with five defenders, Sahin tried to increase defensive stability, but this change led to the opposite effect. Real Madrid soon took control and equalized at 2:2 within just a few minutes, and Borussia looked uncertain and disorganized.
Sahin took responsibility for his decisions at the conference after the match. “I stand behind this mistake,” admitted the coach, explaining how he wanted to increase the pressure on the flanks and prevent Real Madrid from getting chances easily. However, Borussia became passive after the formation change, with striker Serhou Guirassy as the only forward player unable to put pressure on Real’s opening attack on his own, allowing the Madrid side to move easily from the first phase of the game’s organization.
Attack without depth
One of the key problems was the fact that after the formation change, Borussia no longer had a player who could create deep attacks and threaten counterattacks. Donyell Malen, another speedy player, was replaced by Pascal Groß, further reducing Dortmund’s offensive options. None of the substitutes, including Maximilian Beier, who came on later, was able to change the course of the game or give any additional impetus to the team.
Real Madrid exploited every weakness in Borussia’s organisation, and in particular they outplayed Emre Can, who played on the right and was powerless against Vinicius Junior. Despite the occasional chance, Borussia was unable to regain control of the game.
Sahin’s idea made sense, but it didn’t work
Although Sahin’s decision to change his formation had its own logic, as he wanted to prevent Real Madrid from easily getting chances in one-on-one situations, the change had the opposite effect. Borussia lost their influence on the game and Real Madrid took advantage of their uncertainty.
Sebastian Kehl, Dortmund’s sporting director, agreed that the tactic had failed. “We wanted to create more pressure on the flanks, but it obviously didn’t work,” Kehl said after the game. Sahin also admitted that he will face criticism for his decisions, aware that his tactics directly contributed to Borussia’s slump.
A heavy defeat for Borussia and Sahin
This defeat was painful for Borussia Dortmund, but also for Nuri Sahin, a young coach who is just at the beginning of his coaching career. While it is clear that Sahin cannot be blamed for the individual mistakes of his players, the wrong tactical change ultimately resulted in losing control of the game. In Madrid, losing control usually means punishment — and Borussia learned that the hard way.
Ultimately, this defeat raises the question of how Sahin and Borussia Dortmund will recover and whether the young coach will be able to learn from this painful lesson.
