Man of the Match Poll: Borussia Dortmund Claim Their Second Revierderby Victory of the Season

For the first time since the 2011/12 season, Borussia Dortmund have claimed all six points against their archrivals, Schalke 04. Despite a slow start to the match, Jadon Sancho managed to start the scoring in the 42nd minute after a wonderful bit of counter-pressing from Mateu Morey. Just three minutes later, Erling Haaland doubled the lead with a zlatan-esque volley that rolled past the outstretched arm of keeper Michael Langer.

Blue’s manager Christian Gross switched to a 4-1-4-1 formation in the second half, which gave BVB some trouble to start the frame. Thankfully, all doubt was put to rest in the 60th minute when Raphael Guerriero combined with Marco Reus to make it 3-0. Finally, in the 79th minute, just for fun, Haaland added a second goal with a tap-in off a lovely Jude Bellingham cross. The game finished as a 4-0 Dortmund victory capping, off an amazing week for the club.

Here are the four players I’d nominate for Man of the Match:

Erling Haaland

I’m running out of superlatives for Erling Haaland at this point. He has already proven that he is one of the most lethal strikers in the world, and today he scored a goal that looked supernatural. I honestly don’t know why you took the time to participate in this match poll when you could be watching that goal over and over again. Just incredible.

Jadon Sancho

This game, in a lot of ways, felt like Jadon Sancho’s love-letter to BVB fans. When he scored the opener, he made a point to run to the camera and kiss the badge, and when the match finished, he ran to the microphones shouting in excitement. He was fantastic throughout the match, and if this turns out to be his last Revierderby, his performance today won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Mahmoud Dahoud

Between this performance and the Sevilla game, Mahmoud Dahoud has proven that he belongs in Dortmund’s starting XI. He was the best player on the pitch in the first half, as his ability to connect the attack and defense led to several counter-attacking opportunities. It seems that if Dortmund are going to fight back into the Champions League places, Dahoud will play a major role.

Mateu Morey

This may be generous, but given the amount of adversity Mateu Morey has been through since joining BVB, he deserves some recognition for this performance. His pressing in the first half led to the opening goal, and he made several dribbling runs that were reminiscent of his youth performances at La Masia. Hopefully, this game will give him the confidence he needs to improve his form.