In a UEFA Champions League group stage match that concluded in the early hours of October 23, Beijing time, Borussia Dortmund, despite leading by two goals, was ultimately defeated 2-5 by Real Madrid. After the match, Dortmund’s head coach Şahin spoke to the media about his thoughts on the game.
About the halftime conversation
“It’s hard to express the halftime conversation in words. Our performance in the first half was excellent; we found several ways to break through their defense and scored two brilliant goals. We all knew the second half would be a tough battle. We emphasized the need to be quicker in one-on-one situations, as we sometimes lacked speed in those moments. Unfortunately, we conceded two goals shortly after the second half began, which was a significant blow. The last few goals were even more unacceptable and bitter.”
His feelings about the match
“We demonstrated good ball control throughout the match, both in the first and second halves. We not only created threats but also maintained possession. When the score was 2-2, we had opportunities to extend our lead. We were full of hope. But everything suddenly spiraled out of control, and our defense had serious issues. The opposition has top individual talents. Not everyone can perform like Vinícius. This defeat is very painful for us. We had a chance to achieve better results, but now we must learn from this experience.”
Reasons for substituting Baierno-Gittens
“Gittens performed exceptionally well in the first half. However, we struggled defensively against Rodrigo on that side, so we decided to make adjustments to prevent the situation from worsening. Despite this, our changes did not have the desired effect. There were other factors to consider when making this decision.”
His evaluation of Vinícius
“Now is not the time to discuss the performance of the opposing player. Without a doubt, Vinícius is one of the best players in the world today, arguably in the top three or five. I won’t be voting for the Ballon d’Or. I wish him all the best for the future. My focus is currently on my team and my players.”
The impact of switching to a back five formation
“I admit that this tactical change was a mistake, but I don’t want to make excuses. The switch to a back five was intended to increase our speed and accelerate our attacking rhythm, especially against Vinícius and Rodrigo, who are extremely talented and difficult to handle in one-on-one situations. However, I won’t go into the specific tactical details here.”
