Mak show means PAOK outflank Dortmund
Thursday, December 10, 2015
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Dortmund 0-1 PAOK
Thomas Tuchel's side struck the post twice but had a rare off-night, Róbert Mak scoring the only goal for the canny, counterattacking visitors.
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- Dortmund slip to defeat against resilient PAOK
- Fine finish from Róbert Mak on the break gives Greek side a first-half lead
- Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang both hit the woodwork in response
- Krasnodar's win elsewhere means Russian team beat Dortmund to top spot in Group C
- The draw for the round of 32 takes place on Monday at 13.00CET
A 1-0 defeat on home turf by PAOK, coupled with Krasnodar's success at Qäbälä, means that Borussia Dortmund will enter Monday's UEFA Europa League round of 32 draw as Group C runners-up.
Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel promised attacking football in the build-up, yet his side – who knew they probably required a victory to have a chance of progressing as group winners – started in unusually passive fashion. While BVB enjoyed plenty of possession, only Shinji Kagawa really threatened.
Matthias Ginter fired a close-range shot over in the 23rd minute, but Dortmund's attempts to force proceedings perfectly suited PAOK's counter-attacking game plan. Róbert Mak duly gave the visitors the lead ten minutes later with an expert finish from a tight angle.
Dortmund were spurred into action and ended the half stronger, with Marco Reus striking the post two minutes before the break. Henrikh Mkhitaryan replaced Reus at the interval, the Armenian international going close to a leveller three minutes after his arrival as BVB began the second period at furious pace.
Kagawa's powerful header tested Panagiotis Glykos in the 52nd minute, and substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rattled the post with a header within minutes of coming on. Yet otherwise Dortmund finished in the unusually passive manner in which they started.
Inspired tactics from Tudor
The stamp of former Croatia defender and current PAOK coach Igor Tudor can be seen all over his side. Just as Tudor was in his playing days at Juventus, among others, the Greek team were resilient, well-organised and never gave an inch.
Dortmund fail to click
BVB's attack has been justly praised this season, but the combined forces of Reus, Kagawa, Adnan Januzaj, Adrián Ramos and Aubameyang had a rare off-night, with only Mkhitaryan really living up to his pre-match billing.
An auspicious start
Pascal Stenzel, making his full debut for the club, was one positive to emerge from an otherwise disappointing evening for Dortmund. The 19-year-old was composed in the centre of the park and improved as the game wore on. When he was joined by defensive midfielder Julian Weigl after the restart, the BVB fans could witness a glimpse of the future: the pair's combined age is a mere 39.
