Borussia Dortmund’s Lucky Own Goal

Borussia Dortmund celebrated a 3-2 victory at Hoffenheim, but the scenes after the final whistle told a revealing story. Hoffenheim’s disappointed players walked toward an almost empty home section, while the visiting end remained packed with Dortmund supporters celebrating a highly fortunate win.

Hoffenheim had clearly been the better side for an hour and failed to add a third goal. Leon Avdullahu gave the hosts the lead in the 45th minute, and Tim Lemperle made it 2-0 in the 54th. Dortmund responded through Serhou Guirassy in the 61st minute and Fabio Silva five minutes later.

“

You have to say that when you win the game through an own goal.

The decisive goal came in the 87th minute, when Hoffenheim defender Albian Hajdari deflected Ethan Nwaneri’s cross into his own net. Dortmund could therefore present the match as a comeback from a two-goal deficit, but coach Niko Kovac offered a more candid assessment. “You have to say that when you win the game through an own goal,” he said, describing it as a lucky victory.

Hoffenheim’s Avdullahu also pointed to the difference between a strong performance and a finished result: “We played a great game for 60 minutes, but unfortunately a game lasts 90 minutes.” Dortmund’s sluggish passing and disjointed forward movement exposed familiar problems, although the team’s many new players and its defensive crisis provided some context. Nwaneri, one of the late arrivals, made a strong impact after coming on.

“

We played a great game for 60 minutes, but unfortunately a game lasts 90 minutes.