Bundesliga: Haller keeps Dortmund's title chase alive

Borussia Dortmund 5-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach
(Malen 5', Bellingham pen 18', Haller 20', 32', Reyna 90' - Bensebaini pen 75', Stindl 85')
Westfalenstadion

Saturday afternoon in Germany's industrial Ruhrgebiet began in an atmosphere of sun and solidarity. 

"Come on, Schalke – for once!" shouted one Borussia Dortmund supporter through gritted teeth at the television, in the hope that her team's local rivals could somehow, anyhow, get a result away at Bayern Munich in the earlier kickoff.

They couldn't. Schalke lost 6-0, the sun gave way to an unexpected downpour and the solidarity vanished as quickly as it had appeared. 

"Well, if they're going to lose, they can get relegated as well then," scoffed the Dortmund fan, adding a couple of expletive-laden alternative nicknames for the Royal Blues for good measure.  

As you were, then. Edin Terzic's team were going to have to do things themselves and, for the third home game in a row, they did so in spectacular fashion. 

After putting four goals past Eintracht Frankfurt and six past VfL Wolfsburg, the Black and Yellows fired five past a hapless Borussia Mönchengladbach to remain on Bayern's coattails and take the title race to the penultimate day of the season — thanks in large part to Sebastien Haller. 

Sebastien Haller: What if? 

It's hard to avoid a feeling of "what if?" around Borussia Dortmund this season.  

What if Gregor Kobel hadn't missed the ball in Munich? What if they hadn't thrown away a lead against 10-man Stuttgart — twice — late on? What if the referee Sascha Stegemann had consulted his video assistant in Bochum? 

But most pertinently, what if Haller had been fit from the start of the season? The Ivorian's testicular cancer diagnosis wasn't just a shock on a human level; it also obliterated Terzic's offensive plans for Borussia Dortmund post-Erling Haaland, and robbed fellow new signings Donyell Malen and Karim Adeyemi of the central pivot they were expecting to play off. 

"Yes, this is exactly how we imagined it," Terzic told DW after the three impressed again against Gladbach. 

"But those three players in particular have had to deal with a lot of setbacks, Seb with illness and Donny and Karim with injury. Now, when you see the talent they have in their feet, it's hard to believe that they didn't have a league goal between them before the World Cup."

Haller returned in January to justifiably emotional fanfare. Understandably, he took time to return to top form and establish a rapport with his teammates, only managing one goal and one assist in his first nine games. 

But after being directly involved in all four of his team's goals in a ferocious first half against Borussia Mönchengladbach, the 28-year-old is delivering at precisely the right time. 

"I'm just enjoying every day that I'm on the pitch or in the dressing room with the lads," he told Sky. "We're enjoying getting to know each other and learning to play with each other. We love linking up out on the pitch."

Haller: 'The player Dortmund were missing' 

It was his powerful drive which was deflected into Malen's path for the opener, and it was his touch and turn in the box which drew the foul which resulted in Jude Bellingham's penalty. He scored the next two himself, a casual back heel flick into the bottom corner to make it 3-0 evidence of his quality and confidence. 

"He's a player who creates danger inside the box and is also ready to receive the ball outside the box," commented former German international Lothar Matthäus. "He is the player Dortmund were missing in 2022."

Nevertheless, there was still a slight scare late on when Gladbach pulled two goals back through Rami Bensebaini and Lars Stindl. A good save from Gregor Kobel moments later prevented Stindl from making it 4-3. "I was getting Stuttgart vibes, that wasn't cool," said Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt.

"We still need to improve at the end of games," added Haller. "Our attitude needs to be better. We need to keep pressing, keep attacking. We had a little bit of a scare today but we're the best team in Germany in 2023."

Terzic: 'We need two wins' 

In 2023, perhaps, but the Bundesliga title is awarded to the best team over the course of the season. And, despite their wobbles, that's still statistically Bayern Munich, by a single point. 

After Dortmund surrendered the top spot following disappointing draws away at Stuttgart (3-3) and Bochum (1-1), it was always unlikely that even an inconsistent Bayern would drop points against Hertha Berlin, Werder Bremen or Schalke. And they didn't. 

For Terzic's team, it became a case of just staying in the title race until the final two weekends of the season, when Bavarian slipups against resurgent cup finalists RB Leipzig or the predictably unpredictable Cologne are perhaps more likely. 

"The biggest emotion I feel is joy at being able to work with these players and having the chance to achieve something great together," Terzic told DW, when asked about the atmosphere in the camp ahead of the final two games away at Augsburg and at home to Mainz. 

"But we can't rely on emotions; we have to keep working critically and analytically, getting better every day so that we can end the season with the greatest success possible. We need two wins and we'll do everything to get them. 

"And then, together, maybe we can experience the most beautiful emotion of all."