2019/20 Bundesliga: FC Koln 1-3 Borussia Dortmund - 3 Talking Points
If the 5-1 win against Augsburg was a performance that showed Borussia Dortmund were serious as an attacking force in the title race this season, the 3-1 beating of FC Koln away from home showed that this side has the grit to win games late in the day, as champions often do.
Dortmund found themselves behind from a set-piece goal by Dominick Drexler in the 29th minute and struggled for most of the first half to create a coherent chance. The second half saw Dortmund pick up the pace, and the last 20 minutes was when they really showed their mettle. All three of their goals came after the 70-minute mark.
Lucien Favre's side are known to stay in the game late on and strike the death blow when their opponents have been run ragged. It looks like that particular trend is set to continue for Dortmund.
FC Koln can take heart from this performance despite the harsh 3-1 scoreline. They put in a solid shift and looked close to getting their first points of the season, but were denied by a determined Dortmund side.
Here, we take a look at the major talking points of the game.
1. A performance of champions
Dortmund proved their title credentials in many ways. Having trailed since the 29th minute, they kept their heads to get back in the game and snatch the win. It wasn't the most fluent performance by any means, but champions win often even when they're not able to find top gear.
Mats Hummels made a huge difference to the side with his experience and presence. It felt like a game that Dortmund may not have won last season, but the German defender made his presence felt. He was immense at the back and brought the ball out well from the back. Most importantly, though, when you've trailed for so long in a game, you need the experienced heads to show you the way, and the likes of Hummels, Lukasz Piszczek, and Marco Reus stepped up in a big way today.
The win also keeps them on top of the table unless there's a crazy scoring day from one of the teams behind them.