Man of the Match Poll: Borussia Dortmund Escape TSG Hoffenheim with Three Points

In the past seven days, Borussia Dortmund turned in performances as different as night and day. This left me feeling quite anxious about potential Man of the Match candidates in today’s match at Hoffenheim. How difficult would BVB make my job? Turns out, it was as unpredictable as their performances of late. In the end, I’ve selected four candidates for your consideration, which I proudly stand behind.

Read on for today’s noms!

Manuel Akanji

Put simply, Akanji was an unstoppable beast. His defensive tackles were a feat of strength and class. Considering the weak spots within Dortmund’s defense that continue to plague the team, Akanji was a workhorse who had a direct impact on securing the three points for BVB.

Erling Haaland

Haaland’s stunner of a goal early on was a thing of beauty. It was Haaland doing Haaland things, getting BVB on the scoresheet first and within minutes of the starting whistle.

Donyell Malen

Wow. A masterclass performance from Malen against 4th place Hoffenheim. Am I crazy? It seems like since the change in hairstyle his game has continued to improve. Malen delivered a hattrick of assists for each of BVB’s three goals. His efforts on display are leaving us all wondering where the heck this Malen has been and also thankful he showed up.

Marco Reus

His attitude at midweek was deplorable, but today he seemed fit both mentally and physically. His energy influences the play on the pitch and that helped earn him a spot on the scoresheet and BVB a much needed three points. Good job, El Capitan.

There you have it, readers! Who is your Man of the Match?