Match Ratings: Borussia Dortmund 3:1 VFB Stuttgart

Despite several moments where it looked very much in doubt, Borussia Dortmund pulled through with an important 3-1 win against VFB Stuttgart, with two goals in the final 10 minutes to stay level with Bayern Munich at the top of the table.

Here are our match ratings:

Starting XI

Roman Bürki: 6

Bürki only faced one shot on target, which he let in. It was a header from close range, so there wasn’t much Bürki could do.

Achraf Hakimi: 6

Hakimi managed to go the entire course of the game without a catastrophic error that cost Borussia Dortmund a goal. Considering his form over the past couple weeks, that was a stark improvement. He seems to be much more comfortable on the left than he is on the right.

Manuel Akanji: 7

Akanji was BVB’s most consistent defender. He had a brilliant diagonal ball down the left wing that eventually led to Dortmund’s match-winner. Given BVB’s recent struggles to create anything offensively, Akanji should really start trying those types of passes a lot more.

Abdou Diallo: 6

Diallo returned to the center back position after spending several weeks at left back. He was solid most of the night, even though he left his man completely unmarked on the set piece that drew Stuttgart level.

Marius Wolf: 6

The difference between Lukasz Piszczek and Marius Wolf is pretty glaring. Although Wolf does contribute very well defensively, his deliveries on crosses into the box are consistently below the standard that Piszczek has set throughout the season.

Axel Witsel: 8

This was a bit of a return to form for Axel Witsel. He’s recently struggled to break down bunkered opponents with his characteristic incisive passing, but he was much better yesterday. He almost single-handedly created BVB’s third goal through sheer force of will, by bodying several defenders before finding Mario Götze in the box.

Mario Götze: 8

Mario Götze continued his run of stellar form with another great performance. He had a couple brilliant long balls, including one curved pass that Paco Alcacer almost buried. He also assisted Christian Pulisic’s goal that put the game out of reach for Stuttgart.

Raphael Guerreiro: 6

Guerreiro was a bit quiet yesterday, although he did set up one chance for Paco Alcacer that forced a strong save from Ron-Robert Zieler. He’s done a good job earning a consistent spot in the starting XI, and he won’t be expected to score every day, his quiet performance is forgivable. He was subbed off for Christian Pulisic in the 80th minute.

Jadon Sancho: 7

Sancho was all over the pitch during the first half, even though he didn’t find the scoresheet. He managed to draw a penalty that allowed BVB to take the lead, and he even dropped back defensively several times.

Marco Reus: 7

Marco had another quiet game by his standards. He still got his goal when he buried the penalty that Jadon Sancho had drawn.

Paco Alcacer: 8

Paco was all over the pitch. He led the squad with five shots, and ultimately secured the match-winner for Borussia Dortmund. He’s now scored in two straight Bundesliga matches after a rather long goalless stretch.

Substitutes

Christian Pulisic: 8

Despite only playing 11 minutes, Pulisic was a real difference-maker in his short time on the pitch. In the 83rd minute, after collecting a rebound in the 18-yard box, he used some skilled footwork to dodge several defenders and squeeze the ball to Paco Alcacer, who fired home the game winning goal. With Stuttgart still applying pressure, he also made a nice run into the box to finish a good combination from Witsel and Götze.

Dan-Axel Zagadou: N/A

Zagadou came on in the 89th minute, and didn’t have much time to do much of anything.

Thomas Delaney: N/A

Thomas Delaney appeared in the 92nd minute, just to help see out stoppage time.

Your Thoughts

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