Union Berlin 3-1 Borussia Dortmund: 3 Talking Points | Bundesliga 2019-20
Borussia Dortmund suffered the first defeat of the season at the hands of newly-promoted Union Berlin causing them to lose plenty of ground in the Bundesliga in the blink of an eye. It's too early to make such claims, but this is not a game they would have expected to lose, and the points lost may be three points too many in the larger scheme of things.
Dortmund went a goal behind – not for the first time this season – when Marius Bulter scored in the 22nd minute. But all seemed normal when Paco Alcacer equalized only three minutes later. A second goal from Bulter early in the second half would've been enough on the night to get the home side a win, but Sebastian Andersson scored their third in the 75th minute.
Let's also take a moment to recognise the gravity of this win for Union Berlin whose first-ever Bundesliga win comes as a massive scalp, beating Dortmund at home. The home team who have impressed since the start of the season will be buoyed by this performance and the points. Having said that, let us look at the talking points from the game.
#3 Union Berlin pulled off a Borussia Dortmund
Anyone who saw Dortmund take on Bayern Munich in the German Supercup a few weeks ago would've recognised a key feature of the team Lucien Favre puts on the pitch. His sides are compact and organised, very capable of hitting teams on the break and full of energy, particularly at the end of games when the opponent's energy resources are dwindling.
As Union Berlin hosted Dortmund, Favre was haunted by a ghost of last season where his side were rendered ineffective by organised opposition who refused to cede space in their final third. Favre's solution was to commit more men in attack.
Berlin dealt Dortmund a lesson from their own playbook, remaining compact at the back and breaking quickly on turnovers to make Dortmund pay the ultimate price.