How do Dortmund do a Leverkusen? A summer of soul-searching awaits | Andy Brassell

22/04/2024 11:41

A big European win and a disappointing domestic draw this week sums up Dortmund, who remain in an identity crisis

On a night like Tuesday, Borussia Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park really is every bit as special as they say, maybe even more so. It is a formidable tidal wave of unfettered emotion, impossible to fairly explain if you aren't in it and futile to resist if you are.

After the drunken revelry of that Champions League win over Atlético Madrid a reality check might have been needed, and my goodness this was it. True, they came close to being the first team to beat Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga this season, but Josip Stanisic's header in the seventh minute of stoppage time salvaging a draw for the newly-crowned champions, with Xabi Alonso releasing his inner Mourinho to charge down the touchline and join the bundle in front of the celebrating away fans.