Match Ratings: A First-Half Brace from Moukoko Sees BVB Past Bochum

Borussia Dortmund extended their unbeaten run to three games in the Bundesliga, showing a strong recovery since their massive disappointment in Berlin. A win was expected against relegation-threatened Bochum, but Dortmund immediately took the game to their opponent and opened up an early lead, which they managed to hold throughout the second half. Dortmund will head to Wolfsburg on Tuesday, but first, here are the player ratings from Saturday’s match.

Starting XI

Gregor Kobel

Zac: 7

Did not have much to do, but dependable when called upon. No show-stopping saves were needed like last weekend.

Joey: 7

It’s hard to rate Kobel any lower since he got the clean sheet. I do think his passing could have been better and he wasted a few long balls that gave Bochum possession.

Nico Schlotterbeck

Zac: 7

Solid but not spectacular, Nico had a typically good day at the office. Had Bochum scored their goal which was ruled offsides, it may have been a different story.

Joey: 8

Schlotti had a good match and won the vast majority of his duels. It was the consistent performance we’ve come to expect from the German.

Mats Hummels

Zac: 7

Fortunately, Mats was able to play on after his collision with Nico Schlotterbeck and continued to deliver a commanding performance.

Joey: 7

I really think he should have come off after that head injury.

Raphael Guerreiro

Zac: 6

Improved defensive stability in his return to the side, but did not contribute as much going forward as he typically does.

Joey: 6

It’s good to see Guerreiro back since he’s more competent defensively than Hazard or Wolf in the wingback role. He really didn’t do anything special in this match.

Niklas Sule

Zac: 7

Should collect an assist for Moukoko’s first goal. Big Fridge did have a bit of trouble against the speedy Jordi Osei-Tutu, and I would like to see him use his frame more to his advantage when defending corners.

Joey: 7.5

It feels a bit odd praising Süle for his offensive capabilities, but I’ve really enjoyed watching him in the wingback role. Big Fridge is actually quite fast. I agree with Zac, being such a big guy, Süle should be able to do a bit more defending set pieces.

Salih Özcan

Zac: 6

Ozcan was solid in defense and also picked up a donk to his nose. Where he did not excel was in ball progression, and the game was dying for the influence of Mo Dahoud.

Joey: 6

I’ve seen much better from the Oz man. His yellow card was a bit unnecessary and he’s one away from a match suspension.

Jude Bellingham

Zac: 7

Not Jude’s best or worst day, it’s crazy that his lack of goals makes this performance an outlier! Still, Jude was involved all over the pitch, especially in maintaining the press and playing out of the counter-press.

Joey: 6

It really says something about the player when they have an off day but still play well. Not Bellingham's best performance in my opinion but his influence on the pitch is ever present from defense to attack.

Julian Brandt

Zac: 7.5

Very influential in the first half, less so in the second. Brandt was making excellent forward runs in the first half, but for whatever reason, his teammates did not seem to recognize them.

Joey: 8

Gio Reyna

Zac: 8

Scored a penalty and should have earned another. Lively besides the penalties, a solid performance.

Joey: 8

Please don’t let me jinx myself. I love seeing Gio fit enough to start. He’s got some great potential and he can be very proficient with the ball. I would love to see what Gio Reyna would look like should he remain fit for a prolonged period of time.

Donyell Malen

Zac: 7.5

Malen was more influential than in recent matches, keeping the attack active on the left flank, and earning the first penalty with a neat turn in the box.

Joey: 7

Just when we’ve been criticizing Donny, he shows up for a great performance.

Youssoufa Moukoko

Zac: 8.5

What to say about Moukoko’s standout performance that has not already been said? The youngster was composed, clinical, and confident. A perfect day out which he nearly rewarded with a hattrick.

Joey: 9

Timo Werner will miss the World Cup through injury. Youssoufa Moukoko is healthy and fit. Youssoufa Moukoko is finding great form. Youssoufa Moukoko could be an asset to Germany’s World Cup aspirations. Hint hint. Hansi Flick, I know you read Fear The Wall every single day since we’re such amazing German football analysts so take my advice, yea? Call up Moukoko!

Substitutes

Marco Reus

Zac: 6

Glad he got some minutes.

Joey: 7

Karim Adeyemi

Zac: 6

Kirkland brand Leroy Sane.

Joey: 6

What Zac said.

Felix Passlack

Zac: 6

Relieved Sule of duty and continued to hold the defense stable. Passlack, despite being unspectacular, has been important to rotation efforts in since the injury list grew.

Joey: 7

You know, Passlack hasn't looked half bad in his recent appearances. He seems to have a great attitude and his off-pitch contributions may be underappreciated.

Thorgan Hazard

NR

Anthony Modeste

NR

Overall

Zac: 8

As the results roll in from across the weekend, this proves a more and more important victory for BVB. Freiburg’s win condemns BVB to 4th place, but it could have been much worse if Dortmund had failed to collect three points at the weekend. Union’s defeat brings them within one point of BVB’s reach, and although this means Bayern have retaken the lead in the league, Dortmund are now back in the mix after a short spell in the midtable. Moukoko’s heroics are promising for a team that has failed to score goals, and the return of Marco Reus and Raphael Guerreiro will help Dortmund ride out the Hindrunde. The match was not spectacular, but three goals and the circumstances that come along with this victory may prove to be very important in the scope of the title race. On to the next match.

Joey: 7

There wasn't anything spectacular about this match... well, maybe that second goal from Moukoko. I think Terzic’s rotation of players has been smart, especially with two more games coming up this week, both away from home. Dortmund had a great game in the first half but they really seemed to take the foot off the gas in the second. In many ways, this was the right thing to do to conserve some energy. So many times we’ve seen Dortmund play their hearts out head-to-head with top competition, but then falter and drop points against a struggling team. Dortmund were comprehensively the better team in this match.

Just a side note, Hummels should have come off when he split his head open. He was flat on his back with Kobel rubbing his chest. We were 3-0 ahead with less than 20 minutes left. Even if just precautionary, player health should be paramount. These medics need some better traction on their shoes too.