Lucien Favre Insists Dortmund Must Improve Despite Thumping Opening Weekend Win Over Rivals
Lucien Favre refused to get carried away following Borussia Dortmund's 4-1 opening day win over RB Leipzig on Sunday evening, but admitted that he was left impressed with his side's resilience after going a goal down.
Jean-Kevin Augustin forced the worst possible start for BVB, as he broke through and found the back of the net with just 30 seconds on the clock.
After opening the scoring, the Red Bulls continued to apply pressure during the first half-hour; however, Dortmund found themselves on level terms via a well-taken Mo Dahoud header, which was subsequently added to by a Marcel Sabitzer own goal and a close-range bicycle kick from new signing Axel Witsel before the break.
Marco Reus put the game entirely out of RB's reach in second half stoppage time with his 100th Bundesliga goal; however, despite the emphatic scoreline, Favre revealed to Dortmund's official website that he believes there is still much work to be done.
"They were better than us, especially in the first 35 minutes," the Swiss coach said. "They were faster and stronger than us in 1v1 battles, they quickly went 1-0 up and continued to create chances that we didn't defend well against overall.
"Then we reacted well. We regained confidence. The second half was alright at first, but Leipzig started to find themselves again.
"They created a few chances which, although few in numbers, were dangerous. We scored the fourth goal through Dahoud after an excellent cross from Marco Reus. When you make it 4-1, it's usually all over, but that wasn't the case this time. There's still a lot to improve on.
"We should have used the wide areas more when in possession to counter Leipzig's pressing. I won't say that we were lucky, but it went well for us."
It is the third consecutive campaign where Dortmund have claimed maximum points from their opening clash - although, unlike last year, they will be hoping they can reap greater rewards as they look to build throughout the season.
