Match Ratings: Dortmund Win Again!

That’s six wins out of six games for Dortmund in 2023! The match against Bremen began evenly and when the halftime whistle blew, it was still a 0-0 stalemate. Though the second half started much like the first, it was Jamie Bynoe-Gittens who broke the deadlock in the 67th minute. The 18-year-old Englishman had been on the pitch less than two minutes before scoring. Julian Brandt doubled Dortmund’s lead in the 85th. Two goals and a strong defense meant Gregor Kobel earned his clean sheet, and BVB keep on winning.

Here are our ratings from Bundesliga Matchday 20:

Starting XI

Gregor Kobel

Joey: 8

Solid game from Greg. He showed up to make a few big saves. Well-deserved clean sheet.

Anders: 7

Rapha Guerreiro

Joey: 7

I’ve complained before about Rapha’s defensive lapses, but his attacking contributions today were what stood out. He had a couple of decent shots on goal and assisted Brandt’s.

Anders: 7

Really good move for Brandt’s goal. Did actually do a bit of defending too!

Nico Schlotterbeck

Joey: 7

Anders: 7

Great move and interplay for JBG’s goal. I very much like Schlotterbeck’s forward ventures. They don’t always go according to plan, but I feel like he, more often than not, helps drive our play forward.

Niklas Süle

Joey: 8

Big Fridge doing Big Fridge things.

Anders: 8

The Biggest Fridge to ever fridge!

Julian Ryerson

Joey: 6

Ryerson had me concerned with what felt like his frantic defending, but after the first fifteen minutes or so, he settled into the game.

Anders: 6

I like his enthusiasm very much. He fights for every ball, he runs like a madman. He hasn’t convinced me as a defender just yet, but he’s really not that bad either.

Emre Can

Joey: 7

Who knew Emre Can would become such a midfield maestro in 2023?

Anders: 7

I mean, what can I say? We’re talking two key passes and a passing percentage of 90%. Very secure in possession as well. We’re currently experiencing vintage Emre Can, and I’m all for it!

Julian “Trafalgar Law” Brandt

Joey: 8

I’m not going to lie, I had to ask fellow fans on Reddit to clarify this because it’s been a long time since I’ve watched One Piece, but Jule is clearly a fan as he demonstrated another goal celebration referencing the popular anime. For those wondering, Brandt posed as if using a power called “Room,” a technique by One Piece’s Trafalgar Law character. This was another strong showing from the German and I look forward to more of these celebrations. #Brandtwagon

Photo by Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images

Anders: 8

Did squander an almost 100% certain chance, but other than that, Brandt’s performance was as clean as they come. His goal was very well taken, and he has clearly established himself as Dortmund’s creative force in midfield.

Marco Reus

Joey: 6

It’s great to have our captain back, but he did look a bit flat today.

Anders: 5

Reus won none of his duels and didn’t do much to involve himself in today’s offensive actions. I’m sure our captain will regain some form, but today simply wasn’t that good.

Jude Bellingham

Joey: 8

Jiri Pavlenka had one thing in mind during this game: stopping Jude Bellingham from scoring. Jude’s consistency is why he nearly always gets a shout for Man of the Match.

Anders: 8

I mean... How did he not score? Racked up a 0.7 xG, won almost all of his duels, and delivered two key passes. Just a standard day at the office from Jude.

Gio Reyna

Joey: 6

Gio didn’t look as creative as he has when entering the pitch as a sub in previous matches.

Anders: 5

Gio didn’t have any offensive impact whatsoever, and he failed to find any dangerous positions across his 66 minutes on the pitch. Our best joker stays a joker for now.

Youssoufa Moukoko

Joey: 5

Moukoko only played a half-hour as he was subbed off injured, but during his time on the pitch he failed to make an impact.

Anders: 5

Get well soon, Mouki!

Substitutions:

Sebastian Haller

Joey: 7

Anders: 7

Haller didn’t find the scoresheet today, but you can clearly tell that the team is just better with him on the pitch. He’s better at drawing defenders, he’s better at holding up the ball, and he takes up a lot of space in the box. A good striker can impact the game without scoring, and Haller did just that.

Salih Özcan

Joey: 7

Anders: 6

I feel like our Turkish fighter had a point to prove today, and he honestly didn’t set a foot wrong, even though he only played around 20 minutes.

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens

Joey: 8

Anders: 8

Talk about an immediate impact. JBG scored just one minute after coming on, and he really earned his goal after some lovely interplay with Nico Schlotterbeck. The finish was unsavable - even for an on-fire Jiri Pavlenka.

Thomas Meunier: N/A

Mo Dahoud: N/A

Overall:

Joey: 7

There is much to be satisfied with after this match. Werder Bremen have consistently been something of a trap team for Dortmund in recent years, so beating them away from home is huge! What’s more, is that four of BVB’s six wins in 2023 were away from home. Dortmund struggled with the away matches in the Hindrunde, so seeing them perform like this is exciting. In current form, I fancy our chances against Chelsea midweek.

On a side note, The Bundesliga really needs to start taking head injuries more seriously. Look, sometimes it’s a great benefit when an opposing player has to leave injured, but watching Mitchell Weiser in this match was rough. That collision with Schlotterbeck was HARD, and there is NO reason that Weiser should have continued playing with fresh staples in his head, let alone the likely concussion. When he finally did come off, he looked to be in so much pain that I was cringing. Player welfare has to be a priority.

Anders: 8

It’s funny how my overall score is higher than Joey’s. even though my individual scores are lower. I think this was a great performance! The first half was a bit shaky, I’ll admit, but the team really had a firm grip on Bremen in the second half. Die Weserstadion is a very tough stadium to play in, but Dortmund got the job done without too much fuzz. Now let’s ride the wave and beat the blue football-manager-club from London!

Your Thoughts?

Do you agree with our ratings? Did Julian Brandt deserve a nine? Are we being too harsh on Ryerson? Let us know in the comments below!