Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Borussia Dortmund, 2013 UEFA Champions League: Hummels steals away draw for BvB

There was much talk in the run up to this most recent round of Champions League football about the shift in power. Showing its customary tardiness, the British media woke up to the fact that English clubs are no longer all that where European competition is concerned. There was some hand wringing about England’s having fallen behind not just the new-old powerhouses in Spain but also the re-risen German powers and maybe even the so-recently-joke-worthy Old Ladies of Italy. There was talk, then, about the cyclical nature (and blogging, probably, about the dialectical development) of footballing dominance.

The last fortnight’s action seems to have confirmed those fears - managerial phenomenon Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United may have held their own against Real Madrid, may well knock the nouveau galacticos out and have reached three finals since 2008, but they didn’t even make it out of their traditionally lightweight group last year. English clubs are no longer dominant in Europe’s top competitions (Europa League representation is down to three now, too); but to describe the change as a power shift is too stark. A much more subtle force is at work: simply, there are only ever five or six really top teams and these are taken from a global semi-elite of around 12 clubs who fluctuate in and out of the elite group independently of national parameters.

Borussia Dortmund was surely in high spirits on Wednesday evening as they left the Donbass Arena after a 2-2 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their Round of 16 match in the UEFA Champions League. And why not? They’re heading back to the Westfalenstadion with an even score and two away goals. The prevailing wisdom is that they’ll move on to the quarterfinals in three weeks time.

As BVB progress further in the continent’s elite tournament, it will be important to keep an eye on the maturation of Die Borussen as they attempt to compete on the European level. Today marked the first time in fifteen years that BVB played in the knockout rounds of the Champions League. Yes, they have won the Bundesliga two seasons in a row, but that does not guarantee success on the European stage. Look no further than the English champions Manchester City. They were one of the richest football sides ever put together, and they crashed and burned out of the group stage of this year’s Champions League.

The crowd at the Donbass Arena were thoroughly entertained by Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Dortmund, but they did not go home happy thanks to Mats Hummels. The Dortmund defender made up for a terrible night with a late goal on a corner kick to earn Dortmund a 2-2 draw and send them home for the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie with two valuable away goals.

Darijo Srna got Shakhtar off on the right foot with a wonderful goal on a 31st minute free kick. Felipe Santana was clumsy in fouling 25 yards from goal, but Srna didn’t complain. The Croatian just stepped to the ball and hit an absolute rocket. Roman Weidenfeller should have done better to stop Srna’s shot, but the goalkeeper only watched as Srna’s shot found the net and put the home side 1-0 up.

As expected, Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Dortmund are playing at 100 mph and treating everyone at Donbass Arena to a great show, but one in which neither team has managed to sneak in front at halftime. Darijo Srna put the home side in front when he hit a wonderful free kick, but that was quickly answered by Robert Lewandowski, who took advantage of some comical defending to level the match at 1-1.

Dortmund came out quickly and made it clear early on that Shakhtar were going to have troubles at the back. As the match went on, it became obvious that it would be more than just troubles for Shakhtar, who defended poorly all half and showed no signs of improving.

A few months ago, the knock on Borussia Dortmund was that they couldn’t compete in the Champions League. Sure, they were back-to-back Bundesliga champions, but they crashed out of the Champions League a year ago and would do the same this year, overwhelmed by continental competition.

Not so much anymore.

In all seriousness, even though this is the second biggest game of the day, it’ll be an excellent game and no one will want to draw the winner in the quarterfinals. The high-tempo game that both teams like to play and their general unwillingness to play at a different speed should turn this match into a track meet. While Mircea Lucescu and Jürgen Klopp are certainly proficient tacticians, expect this match to be settled by individual pieces of brilliance (or lack thereof) rather than tactics.

Shakhtar no longer have Willian, their playmaking wide player who left for Anzhi in the winter transfer window, but they’ve done well to replace him by bringing in Taison from Metalist Kharkiv. The rest of their squad is intact, and there will be increased weight on the shoulders of Fernandinho, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Teixeira now that Willian is no longer with the team. The Ukranian champions are also coming off a winter break, but it’s pointless to speculate about how they might be affected. They could look rusty, or they could look rested.

Borussia Dortmund travel to the Ukraine to face a stiff challenge from Shakhtar Donetsk as they look to work with way in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

Dortmund were impressive in the group stages, topping a group that included Real Madrid and Manchester City. Not that it means anything in particular now but it should give Jurgen Klopp’s men some confidence. Dortmund’s hopes of retaining the Bundesliga title took another blow over the weekend as they suffered a bad loss at the hands of Hamburg. It’s becoming more and more apparent that if the Germans want to make a splash this season, it’ll have to be in the Champions League.

However, there is no doubting in Şahin’s quality, so when the club made a move to bring the Turkish international back to Dortmund in January, it was hailed by all as a great move. Now, as BVB prepare for their first Champions League knockout round game in fifteen years, they’ll have to do it without Gündoğan. The midfielder did not travel with the side to Donetsk due to a thigh injury that has recently been plaguing him. Manager Jürgen Klopp will likely turn to Kehl and Bender to anchor his midfield, but he may have another issue on his hands. Right back Marcel Schmelzer is nursing an ankle injury and is likely a matchday decision, while reserve fullbacks Patrick Owomoyela and Kevin Großkreutz are definitely out with injuries. If Schmelzer is unable to go at match time, the best solution is to move Bender to right back and bring Şahin back into the midfield.

While BVB has shown they belong among Europe’s elite thus far in this season’s Champions League, their form in the Bundesliga has been up and down. They haven’t been the same side defensively this season, and some score lines, including Saturday’s 1-4 loss to Hamburg, show it demonstratively. Many of those results have a key component in common: Gündoğan was not in the starting eleven. In fact, BVB are winless in six matches when Gündoğan doesn’t start. The midfielder has become so entrenched in Klopp’s side that they don’t operate the same without him.