The first to approach him was Edin Terzić, and neither man attempted to look for the right words. They just saw each other, knew what it meant, and held each other, before the coach whispered a few words of vindication to his player. Teammates had submerged Anthony Modeste instants before at the denouement of this breathless Klassiker and now they followed Terzić, queuing up to congratulate the French striker on his moment of delight and relief.
Youssoufa Moukoko, the effervescent forward half Modeste’s age who had begun the comeback and whose performances in the last week had seemed to start the process of making the older man look obsolete, hugged his senior in a touching moment – pointing to Modeste as they walked towards Signal Iduna Park’s main stand, telling those in it to give it up for the man whose header delivered Borussia Dortmund from yet more disappointment in this fixture.
