How tough was it for you to watch that?
Honestly, it was difficult to watch. We weren’t at our best, and they showed why they’re such a top team. We didn’t start the way we wanted, and I told the players afterward that I don’t think I’ve ever been in a game where every single mistake we made was punished. That’s the level we’re dealing with—any misplaced pass or moment we gave them seemed to end up in the back of the net. On the other hand, we had a few moments, especially in the second half, but things just didn’t fall our way. At this level, especially away from home against a top team, you need to be at your best, and we weren’t. They were, and you could clearly see the quality they have.
You mentioned mistakes – why were there so many?
I think this is part of the learning curve at this level. We may have been shaken early on. We were doing okay, but then an unlucky toe poke goes through, they get the penalty, and we’re behind. We equalized, but soon after, we were 2-1 down, and they took control of the game. It became a mix of our positioning and our quality. Our passing was off, and our touch wasn’t sharp enough. Technically, we just didn’t play a good game.
Would you have done anything differently at the start?
Not really. We went in with confidence. The team’s been playing very well, but we needed a better start. We conceded some cheap goals, and after reviewing the game, there are definitely areas in our positioning we need to improve. Loose passes and errors at this level, as we saw tonight, get punished. Their finishing was ruthless, and unfortunately, we were on the receiving end of it.
Does this game highlight where you aim to be?
It’s tough for us to reach that level—it’s a completely different level, to be honest. But we do want to be more competitive than we were tonight, which was disappointing. In the second half, we showed more spirit, were braver on the ball, and got into better areas. We kept the ball longer, but in the first half, we rushed too much. We know we have speed up front, but we gave the ball away too early, and when you do that against quality teams, you’re just chasing. It’s always a learning process, and tonight we saw the very highest level of European football. We got punished, but we’ll learn from it.
Does this game change your approach against top teams away from home?
I didn’t feel we were trying to go toe-to-toe with them. There were moments we pressed well, but our positioning was too open at times, and they exploited that. When you’re not tight enough, teams of this quality play through you, and their speed and power take over. They got two penalties in the first half, and the young guy scored an incredible goal from outside the box. One mistake, and it’s 4-1—it’s just sheer quality. Mistakes that usually wouldn’t be costly at this level get punished by elite players. It’s our first defeat in a while, but it was a heavy one.
How do you prevent this game from affecting the players mentally, especially with this competition being so important?
We knew these away games would be a challenge and an eye-opener. The team’s been fantastic coming into this, and we wanted to perform better tonight. My job is to inspire the players, analyze the game, and help them learn from it because, at this level, mistakes get punished. But we’ve got a great group of players who are conscientious, and we’ll look at where we can improve.
Were you surprised by the result and performance tonight, or did you see it as a possibility against a team like Dortmund?
It’s always possible, given their quality. We came in with optimism, but we were aware of the level of players we were up against. Tonight, we saw just how top-level players can punish you. We have to take it on the chin and learn from it. The players have been great for a long time, and we started the competition well with three points. Tonight, the best team won, but we’ll take the lessons and get ready for the weekend.
You mentioned the team being spooked by early goals—can that be worked on to build composure?
Absolutely. The next game will be different, but tonight we lacked the usual composure and authority we have on the ball. Maybe that came from conceding quick goals, but if we want to compete at this level, we need to be better with and without the ball.
Is there a broader point about the gap between domestic games and facing this level of competition? You can make similar mistakes in domestic matches and not get punished like this.
That’s true. You’re just not facing this level week in and week out. Like I said earlier, I’ve never been involved in a game where every slight mistake was punished so ruthlessly. It shows the level needed to push on. But for us, we have to be the best in our league, and that qualifies us for this stage, which is where we want to be. Nights like this can be hard, but they happen. We just have to learn and move forward.
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