Borussia Dortmund were meant to be the antithesis of Barcelona. The encounter was supposed to be a madcap melding of magic and medicine: The tricks performed by Lucien Favre’s adventurous brood would clash with the Catalonians’ scientific, scholarly, yet engaging interpretation of football. Goals were forecasted.
The September meeting ended 0-0.
What the opening Champions League matchday against Barcelona and the 2-0 win at Slavia Prague earlier this month demonstrated, though, was that Dortmund are much more than Jadon Sancho‘s whirring legs and Paco Alcacer‘s bewildering scoring streaks. There is a calmness in the eye of the storm, a batch of wise heads that won’t be cowed by the mission to finish above at least two teams out of Inter, Barcelona, and Slavia Prague in Group F.
| # | Team | Played | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 2 | 4 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Inter | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | Slavia Prague | 2 | 1 |
Wednesday: Inter vs. Dortmund, Slavia Prague vs. Barcelona
Favre set to work on fortifying the heart of the Dortmund lineup soon after his belated appointment as manager for the 2018-19 campaign, and he made Thomas Delaney one of his earliest signings. The Dane’s authority in midfield was recognized when he was handed the FC Copenhagen captaincy at 22, and he spent …read more