Reus blow overshadows Paderborn draw
Paderborn - While football is a results industry, Matchday 12's 2-2 draw with SC Paderborn 07 was the last thing on the mind of Borussia Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp on Saturday evening.
'Extremely sorry'
His only concern was the condition of Marco Reus,
who will miss the rest of the calendar year
after tearing ankle ligaments in a heavy challenge from Marvin Bakalorz mid-way through the second half at the Benteler Arena. The Paderborn player caught the Germany international right on his ankle, earning an earful from Klopp.
"Klopp screamed at me, and he was right to do so," said Bakalorz, who was immediately aware of what he had done. "Marvin was as white as a sheet," reported Paderborn coach Andre Breitenreiter. "Anybody who knows Marvin knows that he loves BVB. We're all extremely sorry about what has happened."
Klopp said it was "absolutely clear" that Bakalorz did not intend to do any damage, but he was nevertheless disappointed with the former Dortmund reserve team player for depriving him of a key element of his squad for the next six weeks. "He slid in without control on several occasions and I'd already told him that he shouldn't be doing it," Klopp added. "Marvin's a great lad, but that was just too much."
Other ankle affected
Perhaps fortunately, Reus did not get to witness his side squander the two-goal lead he had helped establish with his sixth goal of the season. By the time the final whistle sounded, the 25-year-old was already undergoing tests on his right ankle at a local hospital, five months after seeing
by a similar injury to his other ankle. "This time it's the other foot and that just makes the whole thing even worse," said Klopp, whose players appeared to be stunned into a state of shock as Reus was carried out of the stadium. A much-needed away victory seemed to vanish out of the ground with their stricken team-mate, as second-half goals from Lukas Rupp and Mahir Saglik earned the hosts an unlikely share of the spoils.
'Hard to talk about football'
"It's not been a nice afternoon," surmised sporting director Michael Zorc. "This 2-2 draw feels like a defeat." The biggest loss, though, was that of Reus, who will miss the midweek trip to Arsenal FC in the UEFA Champions League and Dortmund's final game in Europe this year, as well as the Westphalians' five remaining Bundesliga fixtures leading up to the winter break. With their creative edge cruelly taken away from them once again, Dortmund, who are hovering
in the Bundesliga table, may be forced to rely more on their battling qualities in the weeks to come. "We've got work to do," admitted Klopp. "But I find it hard to talk about football after what happened to Reus."
Relive the moment Bakalorz caught Reus' ankle on the Bundesliga's official YouTube channel:
