Borussia Dortmund are one of the most enterprising teams in all of Europe, lest Germany. The club laden with passion and feeling, even from neutrals, have given their fans moments to cherish. However, they’ve faltered at moments when nobody expected them to, they have fallen in games that have broken fans’ hearts. We look at 10 Borussia Dortmund defeats that still hurt the most.
10. Bayern Munich 11 – 1 BVB, 1971-72 German Football Championship
A long way back, this was the game that nobody in Westfaldenstadion talks about.
Dortmund, then not a fierce rival of Bayern as they are today, and definitely not title contenders, were given a hammering in Munich as Bayern legend Gerd Muller racked up 4 goals and 2 assists en route to a 11-1 hammering.
This is till date Dortmund’s worst performance on a football field, a moment that always comes up during the Der Klassiker, no matter the irrelevance of the game.
9. Tottenham Hotspurs 3 – 0 BVB, 2018-19 UEFA Champions League
The 2018-19 season was a big one for the Black and Yellows. They were leading the pack in the Bundesliga under new coach Lucian Favre and were looking really good in Europe.
All that before they met Tottenham in the Round of 16. Call it fatigue, call it English conditions, call it what you may, Dortmund simply lacked interest in the first leg of the tie to gift 3 critical goals to Spurs, all of them scored in similar fashion as unmarked Spurs players tapped in past the Dortmund defense.
The defeat was heavy in the sense that BVB didn’t give themselves a chance at the Signal Iduna Park, which they lost 0-1 as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5pk2EIlSEU
8. Bayern Munich 2 – 1 Borussia Dortmund, 2007-08 DFB Pokal Final
When Bayern prized Luca Toni from Fiorentina in Italy for a club record fee at the time, he was hailed to be the front man of a star studded line-up that Bayern were assembling under Louis van Gaal.
However, things didn’t quite go that way as Bayern won nothing but the DFB Pokal in 2007-08. The final was Toni’s chance to shine and he did, with two well taken goals that stabbed Dortmund right where it mattered.
7. Feyenoord 3 – 2 Borussia Dortmund, 2002 UEFA Cup Final
Champions of Europe in 1996, Borussia Dortmund featured in another European final in 2002 as they played Feyenoord in the 2002 UEFA Cup Final.
The Dutch club came out on top in an entertaining contest as they won 3-2 as Dortmund saw red twice. This was one of Dortmund’s two failed attempts at a European trophy in the 20th century.
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6. Bayern Munich 5 – 0 Borussia Dortmund, 2018-19 Bundesliga
Defeat in a Der Klassker always hurts, but there was so much more to it this time around.
Former BVB men Lewandowski and Hummels scored against their former club, Lewandowski scored his 200th Bundesliga goal as BVB were thrashed 5-0 by Bayern in the 100th Der Klassiker in the Bundesliga era, the worst defeat suffered by a Bundesliga leader since Karlsruher lost 6-1 to Leverkusen in August 1997.
5. Union Berlin 3 – 1 Borussia Dortmund, 2019-20 Bundesliga
Newly promoted Union Berlin made history at Signal Iduna Park as BVB fell to Bulter’s twin strikes to lose 3-1.
BVB had lost out on the Bundesliga by fine margins the previous season and were expected to be focused and concentrated on the big prize this season.
However, a shock defeat to a newly promoted side means Lucien Favre and his men will have to go back to the drawing board and start things fresh.
4. Borussia Dortmund 2 – 3 AS Monaco, 2016-17 UEFA Champions League
Monaco were the story on everyone’s lips in 2017 as their young and talented team consisting of the likes of Fabinho, Bernardo Silva, Mbappe, Falcao and Lemar set the Champions League on fire.
They faced BVB in the Round of 16 expecting tough competition, and a clash of similar styles of play. Dortmund, coached by Thomas Tuchel at the time, lost the plot in midfield as Monaco took them apart 3-2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ600LlIwt8
3. Borussia Dortmund 1 – 3 Real Madrid CF, 2017-18 UEFA Champions League
Part of why Borussia Dortmund had to part ways with talented young German coach Thomas Tuchel was their horrible performances in the Champions League.
The disappointment of losing 3-1 to Real Madrid at home was the breaking point as Aubamayang’s goal was the only bright point on a night when Real made Signal Iduna Park their wonderland with a Bale goal and brace from star man Cristiano Ronaldo.
2. Borussia Dortmund 2 – 4 FC Shalke 04, 2018-19 Bundesliga
The Riviera derby between Shalke and Dortmund is always an heated affair, but if there is a title and relegation places in question, then it becomes all the more critical.
Dortmund were leading the Bundesliga, challenging Bayern for the title when Shalke visited Signal Iduna Park and thrashed Dortmund hopes with a 4-2 win.
BVB were shown two red cards, ending the game with 9 points. Dortmund eventually lost out on the title to Bayern while Shalke survived relegation.
1. Bayern Munich 2 – 1 Borusssia Dortmund, 2013 UEFA Champions League Final
Jurgen Klopp’s time in charge at Dortmund was like a sweet dream. The team were representing themselves in Champions League Finals, winning Bundesligas, Pokals and most importantly playing to their identity.
The story cried out for a climatic moment, which never came thanks to Jupp Heynekes’ Bayern gutting Dortmund dreams in Wembley in the Final of the 2013 Champions League. Dortmund went down 2-1 to their arch-rivals on a night when they clearly looked the better side on the pitch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr24ZYxQVSo