Borussia Dortmund Captain Emre Can and head coach Niko Kovac were both disappointed about vomiting a lead to pull 1-1 with Lille at home in the Champions League round of 16 first stage.
Karim Adeyemi had brought the home team a goal during the break, but Hakan Arnor Haraldsson equalized in the second half to give the visitors a draw to bring back to France.
It was a version that can be frustrated, especially their second half.
“It wasn't a good game at all,” said Captain Emre Can in an interview after the game. “There was not enough intensity on the ball, we should definitely play better.
“We were far too passive. We were not on the point that it hurt, and you have to do that against them. We have to be better on the ball and be more brave. We can and must do much better.”
Work to do in France. pic.twitter.com/u6goup4mac
– Borussia Dortmund (@blackyellow) 4 March 2025
Head coach Kovac agreed with his captain in the second half of non-performance, which suggests that she lost control of the game.
“We didn't have a grip in the second half. We didn't shift the piece enough, and we didn't have enough phases where we calmed the game. We gave the ball away too easily,” he said.
“We did not execute well. We just didn't influence the game enough. There were hardly any phases where we calmed down the pace of the game, and instead we surrendered the property too easily.
“Then it became an end-to-end game. Apart from the moment that led to the equalizer, Lille did not make many opportunities to score. I am convinced that we will correct all our shortcomings in the second stage,” “
Looking ahead to next week's return bone in France, Kovac's message to his players was simple: “We have to play as we did in the first half.”
The winner of this draw will be confronted with Benfica or Barcelona in the quarterfinals.
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