MOTM Poll: A Tired Dortmund Team Share the Spoils Against Sevilla

Borussia Dortmund hosted Sevilla in an attempt to earn a direct ticket to the knockout stages of this years Champions League. You could really sense the “blues” from the match against Bayern, and some players were visibly tired. Luckily for us, Sevilla weren’t that great either. The Spanish side with newly appointed coach Jorge Sampaoli at the wheel weren’t able to create many meaningful chances.

A set piece goal from former Bayern player Tanguy Nianzou gave the Spaniards the lead in the 18th minute. BVB’s goal came from a nice build up with Jude Bellingham latching onto a cross from Thomas Meunier.

Sevilla could have regained the lead through Erik Lamela, who found himself just in front of the goal as a result of a corner, and if it weren’t for Gregor Kobel, Sevilla could have gone up 2-1. I swear I watched the whole match, and I’m being totally honest, when I’m saying that nothing else noteworthy happened.

Nonetheless, here’s the nominations for MOTM:

Thomas Meunier

Meunier slotted in at right back after being absent against Bayern, and he honestly did a pretty good job. He won all of his duels, and both his crosses seemed to always find a teammate in the box. His cross for Bellingham’s goal wasn’t the most spectacular sight I’ve ever seen, but it’s good to see Meunier making himself useful in both offense and defense.

Photo by Marcel Ter Bals/Orange Pictures/BSR Agency/Getty Images

Mats Hummels

Throughout this season, Mats Hummels has shown that he’s still a valuable part of this team. He won all his duels but one, and he helped solidify our backline throughout the game. He made a ton of clearances and a bunch of interceptions as well. His trademark long balls mostly found a teammate, and I have this strange feeling that Sevilla could have scored, had Hummels not been on the field.

Jude Bellingham

Jude looked tired out there today, and you honestly can’t blame him. He has been playing week in week out, and he still found a way to impact the game. He was a bit sloppy in open play today, but his determination got him a goal in the end.

You can tell an elite player apart from a good player, because an elite player will somehow find a way to impact the match, even on bad days, and Jude did exactly that today. A generational talent and nothing less.

Gregor Kobel

Our Swiss shotstopper was back between the sticks today, and you just feel calm when Kobel is on duty. He could not do anything about the first goal, but he was excellent in stopping Lamela from scoring an almost certain goal.

Other than that, he didn’t have much to do, but that one save and some decent distribution can surely warrant a nomination on a day where the team lacked as a whole.

Share Your Thoughts Below!

• How would you rate our performance today?
• Is Malen a lost cause?