Bundesliga: Watching Werder Bremen’s stunning comeback from Borussia Dortmund’s Yellow Wall | DW | 21.08.2022

“And when you win, and are right at the top, we’ll be standing here singing: ‘Borussia!'”

For 93 minutes at the Westfalenstadion on Saturday, it was the first line of the Borussia Dortmund chant which was most valid for the massed ranks on the Südtribüne, the south stand, the famous Yellow Wall behind the goal.

Despite Lee Buchanan’s apparent consolation goal for Werder Bremen, curled deftly into the top corner right in front of DW, Dortmund were heading for a 2-1 home win – not a convincing one, but enough to send them top of the Bundesliga overnight, three wins from three.

Just three minutes later, however, the Yellow Wall was utterly silent – and it was the ecstatic Green and White quadrant at the far end which was suddenly audible after injury-time strikes from Niklas Schmidt and Oliver Burke completed a historic comeback for newly-promoted Bremen.

Slowly, and quietly at first, led by the determined Dortmund ultras still in something of a trance and trying to digest what had just unfolded before their very eyes, the song started up again.

But suddenly, it was the second line which was more appropriate.

“And when you lose, and are rock bottom, we’ll be standing here singing: ‘Borussia!'”

Twenty meters or so away, in the penalty area, Borussia Dortmund’s players stood like statues in front of their supporters. Centerback Nico Schlotterbeck crouched down low. Jude Bellingham, who had earlier in the game been gesticulating to the fans for even more noise, but who had lost possession in the build-up to Burke’s winner, motionless with his hands on his hips.

“You give everything for 90 minutes … and then that happens,” exclaimed one fan to no-one in particular. “Scheisse!”

Others, themselves out of breath and drenched in sweat after singing, clapping, bouncing and waving huge, heavy flags for two hours, set about gathering together their banners, flagpoles and assorted other equipment in silence, the well-established post-match routine automatically kicking in.

There was no abuse of the players, no angry insults hurled from the stands, at least from where DW was standing. It’s too early in the season for that, too early in a general club rebuild to reach overly drastic conclusions.

The hardcore on the Südtribüne have suffered painful late comebacks before – the 4-4 derby draw at home to Schalke in November 2017 springs to mind – compensated by countless more positive results.

“Whatever happens,” the chant continued, “we’ll stand by you, until death, and sing for you, Borussia!”