Borussia Dortmund conceded after just 14 seconds and soon found themselves 3-0 down. But they turned it around with help from a hugely impressive Marcel Schmelzer, winning 3-4 in their UEFA Europa League play-off round.
Team news
Thomas Tuchel made five changes to the side which hammered Borussia Mönchengladbach at the weekend. Marco Reus and Lukas Piszczek were spared the trip having picked up slight knocks in the 4-0 win, the medical staff unwilling to risk the pair on Odds BK’s artificial pitch. They were replaced by Kevin Kampl and Gonzalo Castro respectively, the latter making his first start for the Schwarzgelbe.
Sven Bender came into defensive midfield, Matthias Ginter (the subject of interest from VfB Stuttgart this week) partnered Mats Hummels and Roman Weidenfeller replaced Roman Bürki in goal.
Stunning start
Thomas Tuchel admitted today that his goalkeeping dilemma is more difficult than expected, but he stuck to his promise here that Weidenfeller would play in cup competitions.
But Dortmund got off to the worst possible start, Rafik Zekhnini skipping past Castro on the left hand side and crossing for Jone Samuelson, who darted in between Ginter and Hummels to place a free header past Weidenfeller after just 14 seconds.
The game was off to a lightning start, and Dortmund were almost level immediately, Shinji Kagawa hitting a shot against the crossbar from just outside the penalty area.
Dortmund were attempting to recover from the shock of the start and trying to exert some sort of control over proceedings. Sven Bender shot just wide and Marcel Schmelzer started to advance down the left, but the guests, despite trying to increase the tempo, lacked composure.
As BVB continued to try and work their way into the game, it was Schmelzer and Mkhitaryan who were providing much of the attacking impetus on the left wing.
But they had to be wary of leaving gaps in behind, as Odds BK proved in the 14th minute, the pacey Occean beating Schmelzer on the edge of the box but wasting his cross.
The hosts would have to take advantage of the rare opportunities to get forward since, despite still lacking composure and rhythm, Bender and Gündogan were slowly starting to get a grip of the midfield. However their patient build up play came to nothing.
And they would regret it, as sloppy play in the centre allowed danger-man Occean to break down the right wing in the 20th minute, catching the visiting defence at heads and tails. They had no idea where Nordkvelle was. Occean found the Norwegian in the centre, who controlled well, and slotted the ball home for 2-0.
Things get even worse soon after
If this was dreamland, the home fans were about to be catapulted onto another level of ecstasy altogether two minutes later. The free-kick was too far out for a shot on goal but Ruud thought differently. He hammered his shot, the ball swerved and bent and flew past Weidenfeller who, from that distance, probably should have done better.
If the Norwegians were in heaven, the travelling Germans turned the away end into an image of hell, lighting flares and setting off various other pyrotechnics.
Dortmund were shell-shocked and restarted the job of working their way back into the tie, building once again through Gündogan in the middle and Schmelzer renewing his runs down the left.
Aubameyang found himself offside, but Mhkitaryan wasn’t shy of shooting, hitting the post with a low shot from outside the box.
Following a commanding run through the centre of the field from Kampl, Mkhitaryan shot again, this time dragging his shot wide. Then, Aubameyang latched onto a long ball forward, using his pace to beat the centre back but failing to beat Rossbach in goal.
Aubameyang gives Dortmund late hope
The answer was no. Rossbach, so impregnable a moment before, spilt Mkhitaryan’s shot and Aubameyang, heeding his coaches’ advice, was there to pounce. Dortmund were back in it and pushed on for a second as the half drew to a close, but they went back to the dressing room 3-1 down after a pulsating and shocking first 45 minutes.
Thomas Tuchel replaced Castro with Sokratis at the start of the second half, and now it was Dortmund’s turn to sprint out of the blocks. Two minutes after the restart, following a slick move down the right wing, Kagawa volleyed beautifully through the smoke emanating from the away end and into the bottom corner to reduce the deficit to one. The perfect start.
Dortmund piled forward in search of an equaliser. Aubameyang attempted to swivel and volley in the box in the 53rd minute but couldn’t connect. A Gündogan effort skimmed wide and Aubameyang fired a shot over.
Aubameyang launched a rocket of a shot from all of 30 yards in the 66th minute, Rossbach making an incredible leap to tip the ball on to the post and preserving Odds’ slender lead.
Four minutes later, another cross came across the face of the Norwegian goal, this time from the Dortmund right, but once again Aubameyang at the far post couldn’t connect properly from a yard out and the chance went begging.
Dortmund level, then snatch a winner
Finally, in the 76th minute, the pressure paid off and, inevitably, the source was Schmelzer. The fullback bombed down the left hand side for the umpteenth time this evening and crossed hard and low. This time, Aubameyang made no mistake and Dortmund were level with just over 10 minutes remaining.
Schmelzer wasn’t satisfied, immediately providing an option down his flank again and crossing. Aubameyang stretched and made contact but couldn’t guide the ball home.
The Dortmunder must have felt they were playing against 12 men - 11 players and the crossbar, as the woodwork came to Odds’ rescue for the fourth time in the 80th minute, Kagawa pummelling the frame of the goal from the edge of the box. The Norwegians were visibly struggling now in the face of a seemingly unstoppable yellow tide.
They couldn’t hold it back. Kagawa crossed brilliantly from the left and Mhkitaryan headed home at the far post. The inevitable had happened and now it was the turn of the travelling ultras behind the goal to go into ruptures. The comeback was complete.