Match Ratings: Borussia Dortmund 5-1 FC Koln

I don’t care if Monday’s blue, Tuesday’s gray and Wednesday too, Thursday I don’t care about you, It’s Friday I’m in the office trying to catch a glimpse of the Dortmund game while convincing myself that I can definitely get some work done at the same time. Friday games are a travesty.

Starting XI

Roman Bürki

Paul: 7

Gregory: 7

Paul: He was possibly a little flat-footed on the goal he conceded, though he reduced the angle well and forced Uth to try and take the far post with his shot. Unfortunately for Bürki he did exactly that. Otherwise, it was a solid performance.

Lukasz Piszczek

Paul: 7

Gregory: 7

Paul: Piszczek did nothing wrong in the Koln game, which is a significant improvement from the Augsburg game. He was pretty solid in defense and was also pretty good in the buildup. Nonetheless, he remains the weak spot in this back three. He simply doesn’t have the speed to cover the flank, and he compounds Hummels’s lack of pace. This formation is crying out for Zagadou’s return.

Manuel Akanji

Paul: 8

Gregory: 7

Paul: I thought Akanji had a pretty good game on Friday, both on the ball and in defense. He made the most passes, and was Dortmund’s most involved player throughout the game. It wasn’t perfect, but his performance was a big improvement. Akanji returning to pre-injury form would be a massive boost for Dortmund. Lets hope this is the first step in that direction.

Gregory: Piszczek and Akanji both had error free outings and impressed at times with their defensive abilities, as well as having the ball at their feet.

Mats Hummels

Paul: 10

Gregory: 9

Paul: Hummels was absolutely fantastic. He was the best player on the pitch, barely putting a foot wrong. He was also the best defender in the Augsburg game, but that was really a “pick your poison” kind of choice. This time round he was the best of a pretty solid bunch, and his incredible passing range was also on full display. He had an instrumental part to play in two of the goals, and was consistently great in the build-up.

Gregory: Hummels had a man of the match performance, and showed why he is still one of the best CBs in the Bundesliga. Pinging two passes into the final third resulting in goals showed his prowess with the ball at his feet

Achraf Hakimi

Paul: 6

Gregory: 7

Gregory: Hakimi had a couple good, but fruitless runs down the side

Axel Witsel

Paul: 6

Gregory: 7

Julian Brandt

Paul: 6

Gregory: 7

Paul: This was a quieter game for both Brandt and Witsel, but I thought both were solid. Neither made any glaring errors, and Brandt also contributed the 2^nd assist for Sancho’s goal.

Raphael Guerreiro

Paul: 8

Gregory: 8

Paul: Guerreiro looks amazing in a 3-4-3. He picked up a goal and totaled an xG+xA of 0.8, just behind Sancho and Haaland who both tallied 0.9. He also made the most progressive passes. He has really made the left wing-back role his own, which is good because Schulz has been pretty disappointing. I think both are still pretty suspect in a back four, but in this formation Guerreiro is perfect.

Jadon Sancho

Paul: 9

Gregory: 9

Paul: Sancho is absolutely amazing, and I love watching him play. In these last two games, he has been overshadowed by Haaland’s goals, but he has been fantastic. I felt that Sancho’s biggest flaw has been that he doesn’t get enough shots per game, and I previously used Gnabry as an example for him to follow. In these last two games, Sancho has managed to get 3 shots per game, which is exactly what was needed. If he keeps this up, his end of season tally will be insane.

Thorgan Hazard

Paul: 6

Gregory: 6

Gregory: Hazard looked good in combination play, but came short in producing a lethal pass or chance on net. It’s hard to stand out when Guerrero, Reus and Sancho squeeze him into a smaller role on the pitch.

Marco Reus

Paul: 9

Gregory: 9

Paul: This was a massive response to a poor game last week. I’ve been quite vocal about Reus getting too much criticism this season, but I doubt anyone has anything negative to say about his performance against Koln. He picked up a goal, an assist, and a 2^nd assist, and he had the most progressive carries. It was an all around quality display.

Substitutes

Erling Håland

Paul: 9

Gregory: 9

Paul: Another great substitute appearance for Håland. It’s going to reach the point that we don’t give him any credit when he only scores 1 goal. He has now scored 5 goals from 6 shots and in less than an hour of playing time.

The best part is his burning will to score. He’s a classic 9. He doesn’t care how it happens. He just wants more goals.

Mahmoud Dahoud

Paul: 7

Gregory: 7

Gregory: Dahoud showed that he could still change his fate in a Dortmund kit. Being offered the liberty of movement as the advanced midfielder in the 3-5-2, Dahoud showed that he still has promise with his assist to Håland quickly after being subbed on.

Gio Reyna

Paul: N/A

Gregory: N/A