Dortmund suffer shattering title heartbreak after Mainz draw
Dortmund fans had gathered outside the stadium from dawn, worshippers to their team, the Westfalenstadion their cathedral. The city drew breath - a true football town, expectant of finally ending a gruelling 10-year wait for the German title, and their heroes set about to topple the Bavarian behemoth, dominating the early possession.
News that Bayern were ahead in Cologne sparked some nerves however, and a plucky Mainz side tore up the script, as Andreas Hanche-Olsen headed the opener inside the near post from a corner.
Expressions of those in the stands momentarily turned from shocked to hopeful as a VAR check deemed Dominik Kohr’s contact on Raphaël Guerreiro enough to award the home side a penalty, but Finn Dahmen dived to his left to keep out Sébastien Haller from the spot.
The pressure of the occasion was weighing heavily on the shoulders of Dortmund, and when Karim Onisiwo lost his marker and nodded in Lee Jae-sung’s cross, their worst fears were realised.
The most significant of second halves lay ahead for Edin Terzić’s team, and they poured men forward in search of inspiration. This gave Mainz plenty of chances to counter, and Onisiwo broke away to smash against the post, but chances were soon raining down on the 05ers’ goal.
The introduction of Giovanni Reyna appeared to be the catalyst Dortmund needed, and they restored some belief with just 20 minutes remaining, as Guerreiro punted in off the post to reduce the arrears.
With the home side still well on top, there was another roar from the stands, but this time for a goal in Cologne - the home side had equalised, and even a defeat would be enough for glory. The players knew that they couldn’t rely on that result though, and vied for the goals they so desperately needed.
With time and Dortmund chances running out, the atmosphere was suddenly muted with the news that Jamal Musiala had restored Bayern’s lead at the RheinEnergieStadion, meaning Dortmund now needed a miracle.
The big screens in the corners of the stadium soon announced that Bayern had won in the Domstadt, and Dortmund struck at the death through Niklas Süle, but there wasn’t time for a winner, with the draw agonisingly not enough to bring the Meisterschale back to the Ruhr Valley.
Falling at the final hurdle when glory looked all-but ensured, the dejected looks on the faces of fans and players told the story of a team which had come so close to ending Bayern’s decade-long iron grip.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Finn Dahmen (Mainz)
