Win over Leipzig just reward for injury-ravaged Dortmund, says Sahin

Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 comeback win over RB Leipzig to snap a three-game losing run was a reward for their hard work, coach Nuri Sahin said.

Dortmund, who face Sturm Graz in the Champions League next week, were without nine injured players but dug deep to score twice after visitors Leipzig took the lead.

They came into Saturday’s Bundesliga match against second-placed Leipzig having lost three straight games across all competitions, and fell behind to Benjamin Sesko’s thumping strike.

But goals from Maximilian Beier and Serhou Guirassy completed the turnaround and saw Sahin continue his strong home form, having won each of his first five league matches in charge at Signal Iduna Park.

“An important win, and in my opinion a deserved win,” Sahin told reporters.

“We started well and the goal did not knock us down. We were rewarded with a goal before half-time and then again after the break. Sometimes you suffer, but with suffering you learn. We are now on a better track and won’t veer away.”

5 – Nuri Sahin has won each of his first five Bundesliga home games in charge of Borussia Dortmund, a feat previously only achieved by Marco Rose (who won his first seven). Fortress. #BVBRBL pic.twitter.com/q86nKxJTXH

— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) November 2, 2024

Sahin had been under mounting pressure following a loss in the Champions League to Real Madrid after leading 2-0, and defeats by Augsburg in the Bundesliga last week and Tuesday’s DFB-Cup exit to Wolfsburg.

“On Tuesday I also saw a team that gave everything but were not rewarded in the end. Today we were,” Sahin said.

“The boys applied what we planned. The belief in this team is the same even if we had lost seven in a row.”