Well if this trip was about anything it was to go to the Westfalenstadion to see BVB Dortmund play.  And so I finally made it here.  My host, Rolf being a season ticket holder, also had a ticket to the match so we left together on the bus to the stadium. Rolf’s “tradition” is to have a drink and bratwurst from one of the many food stands outside the stadium so I joined him for that.

At about 30 mins before the scheduled kick-off we made our way into the stadium.  Part of the procedure here is a full body search – arms in the air while a security officer of the same sex gives you the once over.  No chance of smuggling anything into this stadium, or any other that I have attended so far.

Match warm-up was relatively quiet.  Local icon, Nobby Dickel read out the team lists and there were a few other announcements.  But then the evening really got going:  a splendid rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, an anthem which BVB fans share with Liverpool FC and several other clubs.  Quite a special moment.

The match got under way and Dortmund attacked from the outset; and how.  For the first 15 minutes, the opponent Hamburger SV could not get the ball.  So dominant were Dortmund that they spent much of the first 20 minutes playing with a back two, Bartra and Ginter.  And they had relatively little to do as BVB, with Castro and Weigl setting the tempo in midfield, launched wave after wave of attacks.  Aubameyang had a one on one with the keeper but was denied and Dembelé went close with another chance.  The pressure told and BVB were eventually awarded a free kick just outside the box.  Castro lined up the free kick and deceived the keeper with a looping strike directly on goal!  Everyone in the crowd celebrates a Dortmund goal with high fives all around: quite an engaging sense of togetherness which we must import to Sydney FC.  1-0 to Dortmund.

The game then evened up as Hamburg came more into the contest.  There followed an exciting match with both teams playing open attacking football.  Dortmund’s Sudtribüne, the famed yellow wall, never relaxed and provided an energetic backdrop of songs and chants to spur their team on.  I had a great view of this from my seat high in Block 51.  At the outset I had introduced myself to Steffi and Zenka who were seated next to me.  Word spread around that an Aussie was in their midst and I became a minor, and very welcome, celebrity.

The second half was a pretty even contest for the most part.  Dortmund created several good chances but Auba and Dembelé spurned good opportunities while Shinji was denied by the keeper. Moving deeper into the second half Hamburg really started to put some nice passages of play together but they were let down by that inability to find the final ball, and some pretty poor strikes on goal. 

At around the 80 minute mark came through the announcement of the crowd size.  No surprise there – 81,360 people there in the freezing cold for a Tuesday night league game.  And they will be there next week, and the week after and so on. 

Before the game Rolf had told me that there are now 50,000 people on the waiting list for season tickets.  The number of cards which became available at the end of last season was 60.  This is a seriously thriving enterprise.

Eventually, Auba turned the match beyond HSV’s reach when he contested a ball wide on the left wing which he really should not have even reached.  He nicked the ball beautifully from HSV substitute Ekdal, then thoroughly deceived him to propel himself clear into the penalty area.  He crossed deftly to an unmarked Shinji who finished the move perfectly.  More high fives in Block 51 and more importantly, BVB ahead 2-0. 

Eventually we were treated to a third goal with Auba sent clear in the final minute, courtesy of a great through ball from Shinji.  Having sprinted clear of the defence he expertly rounded keeper, René Adler and slotted the ball just inside the left post with his left foot – pure class.  Final score: 3-0. You can find the highlights here.

I met up again with Rolf and we finished the night at one of the bars in Rote Erde to let the majority of the crowd dissipate before we took the bus back home. 

Well I have done it – my dream just came true.