Borussia Dortmund boss Nuri Sahin has demanded more consistency from his side as they look to mount a challenge for a return to the Bundesliga’s top four in the second half of the season.
Dortmund beat Wolfsburg 3-1 for their first away league win on Sunday, helping them move up to sixth in the table, just two points ahead of third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt and fourth-placed RB Leipzig.
Daniel Mallen, Maximilian Baer and Julian Brand scored in the win which ended a three-game winless streak and put them in last place to qualify for European football.
But Sahin lamented their position in the league table and called for more consistency from his side for the rest of the season.
“There were a lot of ups and downs. It was hesitant and that’s exactly what I’m telling the guys,” Sahin told DAZN after the game at the Volkswagen Arena.
Dortmund had collected just two points from their Bundesliga outing this season before Sunday, their worst return from their first six games in 33 years.
Wolfsburg’s defeat was also their first away win since 13 April, when they beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2–1 to snap an eight-match winless streak.
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— Borussia Dortmund (@blackyellow) December 22, 2024
“We have to learn to be consistent. The table looks better, but it would look better if we pulled it off against Hoffenheim,” added the former midfielder, referring to last week’s 1-1 draw.
After leading 3-0 in the second half, Pascal Gross was shown a red card as Dortmund finished with 10 men.
“A 3-0 lead should give you enough confidence to see the game comfortably,” said Brandt, who returned to action after a month’s injury.
“You can criticize us [for the second-half]. It’s not good, we have to play with more confidence, we have to move forward.”
Meanwhile, 22-year-old Baer said: “We’re trying to find a reset in the new year and play better. We cannot aim for sixth.
Dortmund finished consecutively in the top four of the Bundesliga between 2015-16 and 2022-23 before finishing fifth last season – 27 points behind champions Bayer Leverkusen, who they next face at Signal Iduna Park on January 10.
