Hummels delighted with Dortmund reaction after Mainz defeat
Mats Hummels felt Borussia Dortmund produced one of their best performances of the season in the 2-0 win away at RB Leipzig.
Lucien Favre's side secured a second-place finish behind champions Bayern Munich thanks to a brace from Erling Haaland on Saturday, the Norwegian taking his tally to 13 goals in 14 Bundesliga appearances.
Dortmund were dominant during the first half and unfortunate to only lead by one at the break, Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi called into action on several occasions.
They had to wait until stoppage time to score again, yet Hummels – who was involved in the flowing move that led to Haaland's opener – was pleased with the reaction from the team after a shock midweek loss to Mainz.
"We played badly against Mainz and wanted to show a reaction," said the experienced centre-back.
"We did that and played an absolute top game. It was one of the best performances of the season and it could have gone even higher.
"Overall, we can be very happy – and happy that we secured second place. We had a good mood in the dressing room before the game and were active on the pitch from the first minute. There was a lot of good stuff there."
Hummels postmatch presser:
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) June 20, 2020
"We were active from the first minute, we played as complete footballers and played well against the ball." pic.twitter.com/l5FBzdmT8G
Dortmund's title hopes were effectively sunk with a home defeat to Bayern following the resumption of the season in Germany, meaning they will finish as runners up for a second successive season.
"We missed too many points in the first half of the season, but our second half is pretty impressive – Bayern just played an even better one," Hummels said, according to quotes reported by Kicker.
"The title must always be the goal if you have such a team."
Knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain and no longer involved in the DFB-Pokal, Dortmund will conclude their 2019-20 campaign with a home fixture against Hoffenheim next Saturday.
"We wanted to secure second place today and we succeeded," said Julian Brandt, who provided the assist for Haaland's second of the game with a low cross.
"I think we have a team that can take criticism. We are very self-critical and question ourselves. On the other hand, we won so many games that you can sometimes lose a game. In the end, that's human."