Dortmund Turn To Teenage Star Haaland To Reignite Bundesliga Title Bid
14th February 2020
Former captain Sebastian Kehl said the Leverkusen defeat capped a "week to forget", four days after being dumped out of the German Cup with a 3-2 loss at Werder Bremen
- Borussia Dortmund must tighten their defence and trust teenage striker Erling Braut Haaland to provide the goals against Bundesliga giant-killers Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday after a "week to forget"
- Dortmund conceded two goals inside 82 seconds late on during last Saturday's 4-3 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen which left senior club bosses fuming
- Bayern suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat in Frankfurt last November, and second-placed RB Leipzig also went down 2-0 at the Commerzbank Arena in January.
BERLIN, Germany- Borussia
Dortmund must tighten their defence and trust teenage striker Erling Braut
Haaland to provide the goals against Bundesliga giant-killers Eintracht
Frankfurt on Friday after a "week to forget".
Dortmund conceded two goals inside 82 seconds late on during
last Saturday's 4-3 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen which left senior club bosses
fuming.
After eight goals in his four previous games, it was the
first time new signing Haaland, 19, had failed to score for Dortmund.
Former captain Sebastian Kehl said the Leverkusen defeat
capped a "week to forget", four days after being dumped out of the
German Cup with a 3-2 loss at Werder Bremen.
"We're conceding too many goals, which often means we
lose the reward for our work as we're scoring enough," said sporting
director Michael Zorc.
The league and cup disappointments leave third-placed
Dortmund lagging four points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
It will be no easy task to reboot their title challenge at
Signal Iduna Park against Frankfurt, while they also have Tuesday's Champions
League last-16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain looming on the horizon.
Dortmund are missing injured forwards Marco Reus and Julian
Brandt, while visitors Frankfurt have already claimed two big scalps in the
league this season.
Bayern suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat in Frankfurt last
November, and second-placed RB Leipzig also went down 2-0 at the Commerzbank
Arena in January.
Dortmund coach Lucien Favre has been correcting defensive
flaws in training after neither Manuel Akanji nor centre-back partner Mats
Hummels covered themselves in glory in Leverkusen.
"It takes time to correct a few things, but it's
coming," said Favre, who comes under more pressure with each defeat.
"I don't see any other solution apart from work, work,
work."
In the four Bundesliga games since the winter break,
Dortmund have scored 18 goals but conceded eight.
January signing Emre Can urged his teammates to "play
dirty -- a foul here, defend better there".
Eintracht welcome back Dutch striker Bas Dost after a
stomach bug kept him sidelined for last weekend's 5-0 thumping of Augsburg.
Bayern could be without captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer
at Cologne on Sunday as the Germany skipper has a virus, with reserve keeper
Sven Ulreich on stand-by.
The reigning champions are bidding for a seventh win in
eight league games, after being held to a goalless draw by Leipzig last Sunday.
One to watch: Alexander Nouri
The spotlight falls on Hertha Berlin's new caretaker coach
for Saturday's league game at bottom side Paderborn after Jurgen Klinsmann's
midweek bombshell, with the former Germany striker quitting after just 10 weeks
in charge.
Having agreed to coach Hertha for the rest of the season,
Klinsmann explained his abrupt decision by hinting at a power struggle with
Hertha general manager Michael Preetz.
However, Hertha investor Lars Windhorst issued a damning
rebuke of Klinsmann's behaviour.
"You can do that in your youth, but not in professional
business, where you have to fulfil agreements," said the wealthy
businessman.
Nouri, who has been sacked by Bremen and second-division
Ingolstadt in recent seasons, has his work cut out rebuilding confidence as
last Saturday's 3-1 defeat at home to Mainz pushed Hertha towards the
relegation places.
Key stats
36 - Number of goals Haaland has scored this season in 27
games for Salzburg and Dortmund.
7 - Goals Dortmund have conceded in their last two games.
76 - Days that Jurgen Klinsmann spent as head coach of
Hertha Berlin.
Fixtures (all times
1430 GMT unless stated)
Friday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (1930)
Saturday
RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen, Hoffenheim v VfL Wolfsburg,
Augsburg v Freiburg, Paderborn v Hertha Berlin, Union Berlin v Bayer
Leverkusen, Fortuna Duesseldorf v Borussia Moenchengladbach (1730)
Sunday
Cologne v Bayern Munich, Mainz 05 v Schalke 04 (1700)