Thick air in Dortmund

Sabitzer’s announcement: “Completely stupid and unnecessary”

Marcel Sabitzer is miffed after the bitter Champions League defeat against FC Barcelona.(Bild: AFP/APA/INA FASSBENDER)

"If someone had told us before the season that we'd be in this position, we probably would have taken it," said ÖFB team player Marcel Sabitzer on Sky after Dortmund's defeat to FC Barcelona. But the 30-year-old's frustration runs deep. 

The second defeat in the sixth CL match leaves Dortmund with no chance of finishing in the top eight. BVB, currently in ninth place, still face FC Bologna and Shakhtar Donetsk in January. "The defeat was still very annoying", Sabitzer complained on Sky.

"It may have been very entertaining for the neutral spectator, but we can't buy anything from it," said Sabitzer. He was particularly annoyed by Ferran Torres' decisive goal (85') in the final after two successful comebacks. "A completely stupid and unnecessary goal to concede, where we actually scored a goal ourselves. That shouldn't happen at this level."

What's wrong with City?
Manchester City would love to be in Dortmund's position at the moment. Ahead of the final games against Paris Saint-Germain and FC Brugge, the Citizens are just one point above the "line" in 22nd place. "Very disappointing," said midfielder Ilkay Gündogan. "At the moment, it feels like every attack against us is dangerous and we're a bit careless when we lose the ball."

Coach Pep Guardiola, whose side have won just one of their last ten games in all competitions, took a different view. "We played well. We didn't lose many balls today," he emphasized. "It's not so easy against Italian teams, they play deep and are masters in these situations. We gave everything, they tried everything. Juventus are a good team," he emphasized.