BVB clinch Bundesliga title with 2-0 win over Nuremberg
[30.04.] It´s party time! Borussia Dortmund have claimed their seventh German title on Saturday with a 2-0 (2-0) win over Nuremberg! Barrios and Lewandowski scored for the Black ´n´ Yellows who clinched the Bundesliga crown with two games to spare because second-placed Bayer Leverkusen slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Cologne.
Johannes Vorspohl reporting from Dortmund
In front of an 80.720 crowd at the sold-out SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, including 6.500 fans from Nuremberg, Borussia Dortmund took the lead through Barrios in the 32nd minute. Lewandowski doubled the advantage shortly before the interval (43 mins.). When Cologne then also went in front against Leverkusen, the BVB fans began to party. Borussia Dortmund are “Deutscher Meister 2011″!
Scenario: First against sixth, or the league´s second-best attack against the league´s fourth-best defence. In the second half of the season table Dortmund (26 points) and Nuremberg (25) had only been separated by only one point. So a close match was on the cards. For both teams, Saturday´s game was also a “long-distance duel” with BVB battling with Leverkusen (at Cologne) for the Bundesliga crown and Nuremberg with Mainz (against Frankfurt) for a Europa League spot.
Personnel matters: The good news first: Barrios and Grosskreutz, who both sat out Thursday´s training with thigh and knee problems respectively, were available again and part of the starting XI that saw one change to the team that faced Gladbach last week (Barrios replacing Kuba). Jürgen Klopp had to do without Sahin, Owomoyela, Kehl and Kagawa. Frantz, Chandler and Bunjaku missed out for Nuremberg.
Tactics: BVB played with their tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation with Barrios as the lone striker. Lewandoski moved into the central midfield with Grosskreutz and Götze on the wings. The visitors opted for the same system with Schieber up front and Mak, Ekici and Eigler as the other attacking players. In the second half Nuremberg coach Hecking changed his formation to a 4-1-4-1 to try to give his team more attacking threat.
Game & Analysis:
In the best possible conditions – brilliant sunshine and a capacity Signal Iduna Park – the fans saw an intense game. Both sides started cautiously and focused on their defence, but quickly drove forward when they won the ball, though there were no real scoring opportunities in the opening 15 minutes. The only shot on goal came from Grosskreutz who tested Nuremberg´s keeper Schäfter with a long-range effort in the 12th minute.
The Franconian outfit had their first chance from a set piece when first Wolf and then the unmarked Wollscheid missed the ball from a free-kick (21). However, at that stage of the match, Borussia also struggled to create chances from open play.
Controversy in the 26th minute: Lewandowski released Barrios who ran clear on goal before colliding into the goalkeeper. The Nuremberg players protested vehemently, claiming – wrongly – that it was intentional. Both players needed treatment before they were able to continue playing. Barrios, however, was booked by referee Schmidt – a very harsh decision.
Six minutes later the two players were again in the spotlight. This time Nuremberg failed to clear the ball properly from their penalty which allowed Götze to unleash a shot from 22 yards. Schäfer managed to parry the effort, but Barrios was on hand to slot the rebound home to put BVB in front (32). The “Panther” likes to bite against Nuremberg – it was already his fifth goal in three matches against the “Club”.
After taking the lead, Borussia looked comfortable in possession. In the 37th minute, Piszczek found Barrios with a pinpoint cross, but the BVB striker failed to connect his header properly, otherwise he could have added a second goal. But that was scored a few minutes later by one of his team-mates.
A long ball by Hummels was picked up by Lewandowski who shrugged off Pinola before lobbing the ball over the on-rushing Schäfer – 2-0 for BVB in the 43rd minute. It was the eighth goal of the season for the Poland international – a fantastic strike that sent the Signal Iduna Park into raptures!
BVB kept the tempo high after the restart with most of the action taking place in the visitor´s half. Nuremberg, who had begun the match brightly, now struggled to compete. If they managed to create a chance Weidenfeller was on hand to make the save, for example in the 56th minute when the BVB keeper denied Eigler with a reflex save. The next chance then fell to Borussia again with Subotic going close with a header from a da Silva corner (60).
The Signal Iduna Park was bouncing, and when stadium announcer Norbert Dickel announced at 4.54 p.m. that Cologne had taken the lead against Leverkusen, the great atmosphere got even more fired up. The fans chanted, “Only BVB will become German champions.” Even BVB coach Jürgen Klopp celebrated briefly before sending out tactical instructions to his team again.
Nuremberg were unable to produce any kind of rally, and BVB cruised to victory. Replaced by Kuba, Lewandowski was giving a standing ovation when he left the pitch in the 78th minute. Barrios had the last chance of the game, but his header went just wide. And when the final whistle blew, the real party started: Borussia Dortmund are the 2011 Bundesliga champions!
Prospects:
There are two games remaining in the 2010/2011 season. Next Saturday (7 May, kick-off: 1530 CET), BVB travel to Bremen. In the season finale (14 May, 1530 CET), Jürgen Klopp´s men take on Eintracht Frankfurt at the SIGNAL IDUNA PARK.
Teams & Goals
Bundesliga, matchday 32
BORUSSIA DORTMUND – 1. FC NÜRNBERG 2-0 (2-0)
Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller – Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer – Bender, da Silva – Götze, Lewandowski, Großkreutz – Barrios.
Nuremberg: Schäfer – Judt, Wollscheid, Wolf, Pinola – Simons, Cohen – Eigler, Ekici, Mak – Schieber.
Substitutions: 78. Kuba for Lewandowski, 83. Santana for da Silva, 90. Dede for Großkreutz – 46. Gündogan for Mak, 71. Hegeler and Plattenhardt for Schieber and Pinola.
Goals: 1-0 Barrios (32., Götze), 2-0 Lewandowski (43., Hummels).
Corners: 4-4 (HT 1-2), Chances: 4-2 (3-1).
Referee: Schmidt (Stuttgart), Bookings: Barrios – Simons, Judt.
Attendance: 80.720 (sold-out). Weather: sunny, 18 °C.
www.bvb.de
as a soccer fan, it is fun to know that one of major european soccer league already has a champion. a new champion with style. BvB is the Deutcher Meister 2011!
not knowing much of Bundesliga, but it’s always a hype everytime a league scores a new champion. that means the league itself is alive, not a game of monopoly by several clubs. top clubs.
Bundesliga and Ligue 1 is two of european league which is the most scores new champ in a different season. as for Ligue 1 the tittle is much in a rally between Lille, OM or OL. PSG perhaps?
in the coming weeks drama will be display in EPL and Spain. the race is still on between MU and Chelsea. guess Arsenal is already out of the list. while in Spain Real Madrid is following Barcelona by only trailing less points with only remaining games left.
and then i remember one of my friend, Zaki Adi Prabowo. a good friend of mine who once a huge fan of Championship Manager game on PC. he once said, “if i ever to manage a team from Bundesliga, it would be Borussia Dortmund”
he eventually had an original replica shirt of Borrusia Dortmund, equipped well with a cap directly purchase from official BVB store at Westfallen Stadion (the old name of Signal Iduna Park).
he was once freaked out when Dortmund slumpped Juventus in European Champions League 1997 final by 3 – 1.
Zak, this is your BVB winning the Bundesliga 2011. Deuschter Meister!