Batshuayi relieved after breaking dry spell with match-winning double
Michy Batshuayi says Peter Stoger was right to drop him despite coming off the bench to score two goals in a thrilling 3-2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
Batshuayi came on with Dortmund 1-0 up thanks to a Marco Russ own goal before Eintracht sparked late drama at Signal Iduna Park.
Luka Jovic headed in Jonathan de Guzman’s cross but within two minutes Batshuayi restored the Dortmund lead, slamming in after a one-two with Christian Pulisic.
And the striker, on loan from Chelsea, had the last word after Danny Blum hit a second Eintracht equaliser, controlling a Lukasz Piszczek pass to finish in spectacular fashion in the 94th minute.
I got your call https://t.co/uzylvURUuD
— Michy Batshuayi (@mbatshuayi) March 11, 2018
It was the latest Dortmund goal in the Bundesliga since Robert Lewandowski struck against in Mainz in November 2013.
But Batshuayi, dropped to the bench after five games without a goal in all competitions, could not argue with Stoger’s decision to leave him out.
“I’m very relieved because I have not scored in recent games and have been able to help my team in the Champions League fight,” Batshuayi said after sending Dortmund back up to third.
“It was a very important victory against a team that had taken as many points as we had.
“For my goal to win the game I thought at first, ‘I am offside’, was briefly irritated, then I just shot, and it went in.
“I was not disappointed that I did not play from the beginning. The coach decides.
“I was tired after the last games, so I came into the game fresh.”
Die Nachspielzeit in Dortmund… #BVBSGE pic.twitter.com/wIam7omslh
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) March 11, 2018
Eintracht coach Niko Kovac was left frustrated after his side’s fighting spirit to level twice was in vain against Dortmund, who beat them in last season’s DFB-Pokal final.
“Of course that annoys me because my team did a really good job in the second half,” Kovac said.
“Every time we scored a goal, we conceded a goal on the fly.”
