A solid BVB look calm, collected and composed

“This is not a moment we're having, but rather a very strong development towards consistency and stability. We have now won five games and drawn two (in all competitions, ed.). You can take it even further: our last defeat in the Bundesliga was over six months ago,” emphasised managing director Lars Ricken after Saturday’s 2-0 win at 1. FSV Mainz 05, which was remarkable from Dortmund’s point of view because the game itself was not. Instead of playing with passion (and the risk of getting burned), the team played with a cool head. Unflappable, unthreatened – confident. Or, as was missing in Turin when they squandered a 4-2 lead: mature.

They scored two goals from five shots on target in the first half and were even able to play the last 20 minutes with a man advantage when Mainz keeper Robin Zentner was sent off for a professional foul on Adeyemi. Remarkably, the scene that led to the sending-off had been agreed between keeper Kobel and attacker Adeyemi.

“It finally worked out,” said Adeyemi. Kobel had previously intercepted a Mainz cross, made eye contact with Adeyemi, who was starting in the centre circle, and sent him on his way with a 60-metre long ball: “I saw him nod, showing he was ready. Then he just played the ball perfectly in front of me and in the end the goalkeeper surprised me a bit by going for it.” Zentner took two or three steps back before deciding to try and get to the ball before the Dortmund player. He didn’t manage it. The Mainz player had misjudged Adeyemi’s speed of almost 36 km/h.

“We’re on a good run at the moment because we’re very strong defensively. But that’s what the manager expects from us,” said Adeyemi, adding: “Perhaps he emphasises more that we all have to defend – that’s why things are going so well.” The team has now gone four consecutive league games without conceding a goal and could equal the club record of five games without conceding in Saturday’s home fixture against Leipzig. However, the defence will be facing a rival for Champions League qualification for the first time on the domestic stage.Boris Rupert