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Twitter Reacts as Dortmund Go 3-0 Down (and Fight Back) Against Bundesliga’s Bottom Side

Borussia ​Dortmund hosted a Friday night thriller against bottom of the table Paderborn, fighting back from three goals down at half time to rescue a vital point.

Pressure has been rising at Signal Iduna Park following some questionable performances and poor results this season, and the weekend’s early encounter hardly helped. 

Streli Mamba had inspired Paderborn to a 3-0 half-time lead and the visitors were much the better side, continually devastating Dortmund on the counter-attack.


However, fatigue set in for the visitors and the hosts fought their way back into the light courtesy of goals from Jadon Sancho, Axel Witsel and Marco Reus, completing a marvellous night of football in Germany.

Let’s take it back to the beginning.

It was a lightning-fast start from visiting side Paderborn, who deservedly grabbed the opening goal of the game after only five minutes in ​Dortmund. Streli Mamba bagged the first, converting a wonderfully-worked break from the visitors.


And soon enough, Mamba was back at it, netting his second of the evening and stunning the home fans. 





Things were getting out of hand for Dortmund, who went in at half time 3-0 behind to Paderborn – oh, did anyone mention they’re bottom of the ​Bundesliga?





​​The first 45 minutes couldn’t end quickly enough for Lucien Favre and his Dortmund defence – who had an absolute shocker!​​

​​Favre must have given his players an almighty kick up the backside during his half-time team talk, especially given how close he is to being shown the exit door.

In all fairness…it kind of worked.

English dynamo Jadon Sancho grabbed a crucial goal back for the hosts only two minutes after the restart.


Dortmund chances then came and went, with the hosts guilty of missing a couple of sitters.

But in the 84th minute, Axel Witsel’s header gave the hosts hope and spurring the sixth-placed side back in to life. 




With the game on a knife’s edge, could Dortmund grab an equaliser? Yes, yes they could.

And who else but their main man ​Marco Reus.







Got your breath yet? 

It was an extraordinary battle between the two sides, and above anything else, a stunning game of football. 

And the weekend has only just begun.



​​

​​However, many people weren’t ready to let Dortmund manager Favre off the hook that easily…





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Borussia Dortmund 3-3 Paderborn: Reaction as Die Schwarzgelben Produce Sensational Comeback

Borussia Dortmund fought back from three goals down to rescue a point against bottom of the table Paderborn in a thrilling encounter on Friday night.

It was a stunning start for visiting Paderborn, who took the lead within five minutes – Streli Mamba sweeping home a beautifully crafted counter-attack and silencing Signal Iduna Park. 

Things went from bad to worse for Lucien Favre’s side who conceded a second after 37 minutes, and it was Mamba again, running in behind the Dortmund defence and finishing with aplomb in front of a sea of yellow and black in the stands. It was soon three for the visitors, Gerrit Holtmann breaking through the Dortmund back line and slotting through the legs of Roman Burki to compile the hosts’ misery.

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Things looked irreparable for Dortmund, but they made an electric start to the second half. Jadon Sancho slotted home only two minutes after the restart, converting half-time substitute Achraf Hakimi’s incisive pass and offering Dortmund hope.

Chances continued to come and go for the hosts but finally Dortmund grabbed a vital second goal through Axel Witsel’s near-range header, and bringing them back in to contention. 

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And finally, the comeback was complete in stoppage time. Sancho’s beautiful cross was calmly headed home by Marco Reus and rescued a much-needed point for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga’s best game of the season so far.

Borussia Dortmund

​Key Talking Point

​Dortmund knew that they could rise to second in the ​Bundesliga with a victory over bottom of the table Paderborn, and they were in desperate need of a win following their humiliating 4-0 defeat to ​Bayern Munich before the international break. 

The first half was the stuff of nightmares for the home crowd, who couldn’t quite believe what they were witnessing. Three devastating Paderborn counter-attacks left Dortmund bereft, licking their wounds going in to half time after some shambolic defending throughout the opening 45 minutes. 

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Dortmund struggled to cope with the pace and intensity of the visitors – who have only won one game in the Bundesliga this season – and looked incredibly vulnerable at the back with amateurish defending, and very little in the way of attacking creativity. 

Favre needed a drastic reaction in the second half with his job firmly on the line, and possibly only 45 minutes to save himself from the sack. It was a fine start too, Sancho netting shortly after the break and seeking to inspire another Signal Iduna Park comeback. 

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Dortmund continued to chip away at Paderborn, with the visitors growing increasingly weary as time passed. They grabbed a second and third to produce a stunning comeback, finished off by Marco Reus in added time and sparing some of Favre’s blushes.

Despite an admirable fight from Dortmund in the second half, the performance and result were still a far cry from what the home fans have come to expect, and Favre’s head may still be on the chopping block after an ultimately disappointing evening.

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Burki (5); Piszczek (4), Weigl (3), Hummels (4), Schulz (4); Witsel (6), Dahoud (4), Guerreiro (4), Sancho (7*), Reus (6); Alcacer (4)

Substitutes: Brandt (5), Hazard (5), Hakimi (6)

Star Player

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It was a dismal evening for Dortmund with very few players leaving the field with any pride. However, Sancho was the hosts’ most creative outlet and grabbed a goal and an assist to inspire an incredible comeback.

The English winger produced some fabulous stuff in the second half and has once again proved why he is an essential for Borussia Dortmund.

Paderborn

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Zingerle (8); Jans (7), Kilian (7), Schonlau (8), Collins (7); Gjasula (8), Vasiliadis (5), Proger (7), Holtmann (7), Zolinski (7); Mamba (9*)

Substitutes: Sabiri (6), Antwi-Adjej (6), Michel (5)

Looking Ahead

Borussia Dortmund’s next outing sees them travel to Camp Nou on Tuesday to take on ​Barcelona in ​Champions League Group F, before venturing to the German capital to face Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga this Saturday.

Meanwhile, Paderborn host RB Leipzig in their next domestic encounter.

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Juventus Consider January Approach for Christian Eriksen With José Mourinho Open to Exit

​Juventus are understood to be considering making an approach for Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen in January.

The Dane will enter the final six months of his contract in January, and it is thought that new Spurs manager José Mourinho is prepared to give Eriksen the chance to ​earn himself a new contract before the end of the season.

Christian Eriksen

However, according to Corriere dello Sport (via ​Football Italia), Mourinho is prepared to let ​Eriksen do what he wants, and he will not stand in the way if the midfielder decides he sees his future away from the club.

​Juventus would be free to discuss terms with Eriksen in January ahead of sealing a free transfer in the summer. I Bianconeri have a rich history of snapping up fantastic bargains, but they could still look to seal a traditional transfer in January if they want to sign him immediately.

To do so, they would have to agree terms with ​Spurs, but it seems as though Mourinho would not put up much of a fight if Eriksen decided he wants to leave as soon as possible.


Perennial suitors ​Real Madrid and ​Manchester United are also said to be keen on a deal for Eriksen, and this pressure may have forced Juventus to step up their pursuit of the Dane in the coming weeks.

While Juventus have a seemingly infinite number of central midfielders, one thing they are lacking is an attacking midfielder who can operate further forward on the pitch.

Maurizio Sarri has opted to use winger Federico Bernardeschi in the role this season, but the results have been anything from convincing. The 25-year-old has managed just one goal all season and has rarely looked comfortable playing out of position.

Federico Bernardeschi

With that in mind, a move for Eriksen makes real sense. The Dane racked up ten goals and 17 assists in all competitions last season, and he is exactly the kind of player Juventus’ squad is crying out for.

A January bid would not come as much of a surprise, given Juventus need somebody like Eriksen right now. However, because of their love of free transfers, they would likely have no problem waiting until the summer to complete the move.

For more from Tom Gott, follow him on Twitter!

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Clément Lenglet Ruled Out of Barcelona Squad to Face Leganés But Ivan Rakitić Returns

​Barcelona have confirmed that centre-back Clément Lenglet will miss Saturday’s trip to Leganés after picking up a calf injury on international duty.

The France star played 90 minutes in both the victories over Moldova and Albania during the international break, and he did not appear to be struggling with any injury.

However, ​Barcelona have since confirmed on their ​official website that Lenglet will play no part in Saturday’s game as a result of the calf injury which he seems to have picked up during his time with Les Bleus.

In Lenglet’s absence, manager Ernesto Valverde can still call upon both ​Gerard Piqué and Samuel Umtiti, while there will be cover from Jean-Clair Todibo and Barcelona B centre-back Ronald Araújo, who has again been called up to the senior side.

There had also been doubts about the fitness of midfielder ​Ivan Rakitić, who was forced to withdraw from international duty with Croatia as a result of a minor Achilles injury, but he has managed to recover in time to feature.

Ivan Rakitic

​Nélson Semedo and Jordi Alba have both been ruled out through injury, while ​Sergi Roberto is suspended, leaving Valverde with very few options at full-back. Júnior Firpo is expected to start at left-back, while 21-year-old Moussa Wagué could be handed a rare appearance on the right.

The injured players will all be joined on the sidelines by midfielder Arthur, who again has been dropped from the squad.

The 23-year-old is not said to be injured, meaning he has been dropped for purely tactical reasons yet again. Arthur missed October’s 5-1 win over Real Sociedad for similar reasons, while he was also surprisingly omitted from the 0-0 draw with Slavia Prague soon after.

Arthur Melo

Despite their struggles with injury and suspension, Barcelona are still expected to pick up a comfortable victory against a Leganés side who currently find themselves bottom of the ​La Liga standings.

Valverde’s side remain ahead of rivals ​Real Madrid only on goal difference, but they will have the chance to open up a potentially temporary lead over Los Blancos, who are set to face fifth-placed Real Sociedad later in the day.

For more from Tom Gott, follow him on Twitter!

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Friday Night TV: 7 Former Footballers We’d Love to See on I’m A Celebrity

​Former Arsenal forward Ian Wright joined the list of former footballers to swap the pitch for the jungle when he entered I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!

Some of the show’s most memorable moments have come from ex-footballers, and there could be plenty more if the show managed to get the right characters on.

Here are seven former players who we would love to see take their skills to the jungle.

Roy Keane

Roy Keane

The best thing about Roy Keane is his ability to get annoyed by literally everything. A midfielder showing too much flair? Fine them. Refusing to celebrate a goal against a former side? Pathetic.

Imagine his response in any form of Bushtucker trial. You can just picture the former ​Manchester United man starting a fight with a lizard because it got too close to him.

Making Keane spend weeks in the middle of the jungle with a group of other celebrities sounds like the recipe for a good TV show. He’d be clashing with anyone and everyone for his entire time there, and that’s what would make it perfect.​

Peter Crouch

Peter Crouch

​Surviving in the jungle is hard enough for your average person, but finding a space for Peter Crouch and his giant 6’7 frame would be even tougher.

As he his social media accounts have proven, Crouch is one of the funniest former footballers around. Being stuck in such a tough situation would bring out the best of his comedy, and that’s exactly what the show needs.

Plus, he’d practically be a cheat code in Bushtucker trials. You know, ’cause he’s tall.

Rivaldo

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During his time with the likes of ​Barcelona and ​AC Milan, Rivaldo proved to be one of the most gifted footballers around. However, his time with Brazil at the 2002 World Cup showed that he loves an overreaction.

His infamous dive clutching his face after having the ball gently kicked at his leg marred the entire tournament, but it would make for fantastic viewing in the jungle. How would he respond to actually getting hit in the face by rats, spiders or snakes?

Some of the most famous moments on the show are contestants’ reactions to fear, and Rivaldo knows how to overreact like a professional. ​

Diego Maradona

Diego Armando Maradona

Has Diego Maradona ever done anything that hasn’t been entertaining in some way?

The ​Napoli legend just knows how to entertain. He seemingly has no internal censor, which means he has no problem insulting anyone he crosses paths with, and he is not afraid to say how he is really feeling.

He recently led his team on ​a pitch-side throne – the team which he left and rejoined this week – which is nothing like the hammock he would have to deal with in the jungle.

Patrice Evra

Swansea City v West Ham United - Premier League

Since retiring, former United and ​West Ham left-back Patrice Evra has built up a huge social media following, and that’s largely because it looks like he’s gone a little bit…wonky.

Whether he’s massaging a raw chicken, kissing a monkey or just screaming “I LOVE THIS GAME” every second of every day, the Frenchman knows how to entertain.

You never know what you’re going to get from Evra, which makes him the kind of person viewers should want to see in the jungle.​

Gary Neville & Jamie Carragher

Jamie Carragher,Gary Neville

These two have to go on as a duo. The punditry partnership of Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher has been fantastic to watch, and that’s largely because the two can’t resist making fun of each other.

They may be able to work together to dissect some football highlights, but could they team up in the jungle? Or would they rather see the other fall into a freezing cold river? Maybe trap them in a cave full of bugs?

They’d get the job done, but they’d make sure to terrorise each other as much as possible in the process. The dream.

For more from Tom Gott, follow him on Twitter!

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