But it is obvious that if Dortmund wants to take advantage of the situation, it needs to become stronger.
In the midweek game, Dick sent all his substitutes to deal with their opponents in the second round of the German Cup. Freiburg, which was relegated to the Bundesliga 2 last season, however, in this game, Freiburg, which ranked high in the Bundesliga 2, failed. Showing a very good state, they defeated Dortmund 3-2 at home - because the German Cup is a determined outcome until the final, the loss in this game also means that Dortmund will miss this season. German Cup champion.
Dortmund fans didn't care about this. All they cared about was the away game against Bayern on the weekend. However, in this game, Bayern, which was in internal and external difficulties, began to rise - although eight minutes after the game started, Cavinagi After receiving a pass from Rivaldo in the penalty area, he opened the scoring for Dortmund. However, in the next game, Bayern tenaciously pressed Dortmund in the midfield and scored two goals in a row in the second half, defeating Dortmund in one fell swoop!
Dick's tactics in this game gave Bayern's main forward Elber and midfielder Ballack little chance. However, the two Bayern forwards who came off the bench dominated the game. Within five minutes of the second half, St. Cruz and Pizarro took advantage of two mistakes by Dortmund's defense and scored two goals, allowing Bayern to win the battle at Tianwang Mountain!
This is Dortmund's first defeat in the league this season!
"We are not strong enough. This defeat will let us know some things that we have ignored before Don't forget that we are still the team with the fewest goals in the Bundesliga, and we have only conceded nine goals now. We will not use this advantage. We have given up, and it seems there is no time to worry. Aren¡¯t we still one point ahead? There is still a long time left in the league. We will continue to attack on both fronts. Can we win honors under such circumstances? , is our chance to prove ourselves!¡±
After the game, Dick remained confident enough as always. Although the Dortmund fans regretted losing in the away game, they also knew that Dortmund's situation was still good and there was no need to be upset. After all, Bayern's previous downturn had made them They have gained a lot of advantages. Even if they lose this game, they still have a big advantage.
However, the outside world does not see it that way.
Especially in the sixth round of the Champions League in midweek, Dick sent out all his substitutes. In the end, Dortmund lost to Auxerre 0-1 away. Although they still qualified for the group, they were tied with Assen. After Na occupied the first place in the group, Dortmund has suffered three consecutive losses in three consecutive games, and the situation seems to be very bad.
And this bad mood reached a peak after the draw ceremony of the second phase of the Champions League group stage!
If in the first stage of the group stage, Dortmund was in a group similar to the death group, then in this draw, Dortmund was placed in a standard death group!
AC Milan, Real Madrid, Dortmund, Lokomotiv Moscow!
However, Dick will not say that UEFA is blackmailing him. After all, the top 16 this time has a very high gold content, and other groups can also be regarded as the term "Group of Death" - Group A is Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Newcastle and Leverkusen, Group B is Valencia, Ajax, Arsenal and Roma, Group D is Manchester United, Juventus, Deportivo La Coruna and Basel. It is difficult to play in any group. To qualify in the group is to truly emerge from the battle of blood and fire!
"I now think that Dortmund's wise move would be to give up the Champions League. They have accomplished their mission by reaching the second group stage. If they still want to advance in such a scary group, then Dortmund must Putting all their energy into the Champions League, can they still compete with Bayern in the league? After all, they did not defeat Bayern and expand their lead to seven points"
After the draw ceremony, Dick fell into silence. No one knew what he was thinking, but it was obvious that he never thought about giving up the Champions League to protect the league, even if the agreement with Dortmund was to win the league. If he wins the championship, he will be able to get a share of the transfer market revenue, and he cannot do something that is more beneficial to himself but not very beneficial to the club for the sake of money.
In fact, it is Dick's idea to compete in the Champions League this season. To compete in the Champions League when Dortmund is still very good is the best opportunity. Dick knows the current situation of Dortmund. Although he can gradually improve Dortmund's economy , However, after all, it is a debt of one or two billion, which cannot be changed in one or two years. Historically, how many years did it take for Dortmund to tighten its belt before it really got rid of debt? This means that Dick can only make amends in the next period of time, and can he play in the current team's situation?It is a wise choice to compete in the Champions League when your spirit and strength are still at their peak. Wait until next year to compete again. Maybe some players in the team will choose to leave, and the newcomers may not be able to step up. The longer they wait, the team will Getting weaker and weaker.
This idea is the same as that of Dortmund's management before. While the team's strength is still good, let's fight for one or two championships. It's just that Dick is pursuing more things. In addition to fighting for the championship, Dortmund's economic situation must also gradually improve - otherwise, how can he show his ability!
So he is very high-profile and flamboyant - this can inspire the players' fighting spirit. You must know that Dortmund currently has a Rivaldo who joined for the Champions League. If Dick expresses his intention to protect the league and give up the Champions League , Rivaldo may lose his fighting spirit next, which is very fatal for Dortmund now.
"Being assigned to such a group to be honest, I feel very satisfied."
After returning to Germany, Dick began an interview: "AC Milan was one of the top teams in the 1990s. I have been thinking about playing against them for a long time. Real Madrid I think I will be very familiar with them. Lokomotiv Moscow is relatively new to us, but it is not too cold now. If we play well, we have hope of qualifying for the group stage, and we have 24 first-team players. It would be a waste if we only play in the league. Yes, our strength is enough to support two-line operations. The substitute players have lost two games before? That's not a problem. Those two games were used for training. They will play a greater role next. I am very excited to meet the best team in the world in such a difficult group stage, and I think my players are also starting to get excited - we will never give up on the Champions League. I have said before that Bayern is now doing If we can¡¯t do it, let us do it!¡±
After Dick¡¯s tough statement came out, many people¡¯s first reaction was ¨C this guy is crazy¡
But soon, they began to feel that the Dick who said this was the real Dick - a Dick who was habitually arrogant and could often make people think that he had a reason to be arrogant.
However, before at Atletico Madrid, he had a strong team under him, but in Dortmund, the team's strength seemed to be a little worse. At the same time, when he was at Atletico Madrid, it could be said that he had a step-by-step process, and stabilized his strength in the first season. He improved his confidence and reached its peak in the second season. However, he did not have such strong subordinates in Dortmund. Where did his confidence come from?
A third of the season has passed, and basically everyone has an understanding of Dortmund's strength. They may not be better than last year, but under the leadership of Dick, they are definitely a strong contender for the Bundesliga championship. , they are also capable of entering the knockout rounds in the Champions League, but it is still a bit of a joke to say that they can win the championship in both the Champions League and the league
Dick didn¡¯t explain whether it was a joke or not. They will know when the season is over. If they don¡¯t even dare to shout slogans, how can they fight for the championship?
If he were in La Liga, Dick might not dare to challenge for the championship under such circumstances. However, the Bundesliga schedule is much easier after all. There is still more than a month of winter break in the middle. With Dortmund's slightly poor bench thickness, Dick still We are sure to launch an attack on both fronts.
Although such a group is very difficult, there will definitely be very complicated situations. The three teams will be strangled together. At the same time, Lokomotiv Moscow will also have its own chance to grab points by taking advantage of the home court. Dortmund has a slight advantage. They will meet Lokomotiv Moscow in the first round. Going to Moscow at the end of November, the weather will not be so cold. If they can beat Lokomotiv Moscow in the first round, the next game will be easier to play.
However, after three consecutive losses and being placed in such a group, the next league game becomes crucial. Now Dortmund needs a victory to boost morale and make Dick's words even more important. Persuasiveness.
However, Dick's luck is good. In the next round, their opponent is Munich 1860, who is currently ranked in the middle. The strength of this team is not very good. As long as Dortmund does not have any problems, defeating them at home will not be a problem. A very difficult thing.
"We are now first in the league. This fact will not be obliterated just because we lost a league game. The advantage we gained in the league before was not obtained by luck. In fact, two of the so-called three consecutive losses This game is a game we don't care about. This kind of defeat is not enough to shake our confidence. Do you understand? Defeating this opponent proves to everyone that the previous defeat is just an accident and we have the ability to start towards two championships. Impact. Of course, whether we can win the championship depends on how we perform.??But we definitely have the strength let's go! "
Dortmund has been lucky this season, as shown in the fact that they often score goals soon after the opening kick-off - this game is no exception. Only five minutes into the game, Cavinagi responded after receiving a pass from Rivaldo, and followed up. Okocha scored in the penalty area, opening the door to victory for Dortmund!
In the second half, Cavinagi scored his sixth league goal of the season. Now no one can say that he is not suitable to be Dortmund's main forward. With his movement becoming more flexible, his goals have become This is an important key for Dortmund to grab points.
In the end, Dortmund defeated Munich 1860 with two goals at home. Although Bayern defeated Wolfsburg 1-0 at home, Dortmund still leads the standings with a one-point advantage.