Dortmund’s Hidden Killer Instinct: Schlotterbeck Demands Finishing Power
11 December 2025
Reaction and Key Moments
Nico Schlotterbeck, Dortmund’s defender, criticized his team’s performance after the 2-2 draw with Bodø/Glimt on Wednesday night in the UEFA Champions League, pointing to a lack of a finishing mentality and the ruthless instinct to kill a match when ahead.
Schlotterbeck, as quoted by Dortmund’s official site, said at halftime the team started playing in bursts after taking the lead (1-0), with incredibly poor touches. He stressed that the mentality of winning requires “killing the game” at times and that the team hadn’t managed to do so, even though they want to make play aesthetically pleasing. He warned that beauty alone is not enough.
He added that they could have moved to 13 points that day and that finishing a game is a matter of quality. The equalizer (2-2) came from a throw-in when they were a man down and couldn’t clear the ball, highlighting how small details can derail a good performance.
If you come on as a substitute around the 60th minute, you’d expect 30 minutes of full power, but after the draw there were no more clear chances to score. Dortmund played incredibly in the last quarter-hour, yet that effort wasn’t sufficient on home soil.
“Now you must win both remaining games, or you won’t be among the top eight and will face two extra matches again, and everyone is annoyed about these extra two games,” he concluded, underscoring the pressure on the squad to avoid a difficult postseason schedule.
Karim Adeyemi
On the other hand, Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi expressed deep frustration with the performance and result, saying: “We have to win every game, no matter the cost.”
He added: “For me, this was one of the worst matches of the season. There was nothing good in the performance; we must improve overall. We must win matches like this one.”
Punchlines aside, Dortmund’s bench and attackers will need sharper focus to convert chances and kill games when ahead. The 2025-26 Champions League campaign demands consistent execution—a trait they’ll want to deliver sooner rather than later.
Punchline 1: Dortmund’s killer instinct is currently on backorder—estimated delivery: next season.
Punchline 2: If finishing were a weapon, Dortmund would be firing blanks—great look, terrible aim.
