Match Ratings: BVB Keep Up the Chase With 2-1 Win Against Union Berlin

Having spent the previous week travelling around Germany, doing their level best to throw away the whole season, Borussia Dortmund must have been looking forward to some home comforts against Union Berlin on Saturday. On their return to the Westfalenstadion, BVB were much improved, earning all three points in a well-deserved 2-1 victory against the team that currently sits third in the league.

Die Schwarzgelben were in control for much of the game, having gone ahead in the first half through Donyell Malen, but some incredibly lackluster Niklas Süle defending let Union back in, levelling the score on the hour. Heading into the last ten minutes of the game it looked like BVB’s rough week was set to continue, but Youssoufa Moukoko capitalised on some uncharacteristic confusion in Union’s defense, jumping on a loose ball to round the keeper and slot away BVB’s second of the afternoon, giving Dortmund all three points.

Borussia Dortmund didn’t blow Union Berlin away, but against a side that has up until recently been in the title race discussions, it was a really solid performance. Most importantly, it got BVB back to winning ways, and kept them just two points behind Bayern Munich at the top of the table. The dream is still alive.

Here are our ratings from Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 win over Union Berlin:

Starting XI

Gregor Kobel

Paul: 6

Joey: 6

Patrick: 6

Kobel didn’t have much to do. The goal he conceded was fairly routine. His defense fell asleep in front of him and he committed to covering the far post while Berhrens snuck it in at the near post. Not much you can do there.

Julian Ryerson

Paul: 5

Joey: 7

Ryerson played a solid 90 minutes and was heavily involved defensively. He did well in stopping the progression of Janik Haberer and Sheraldo Becker... for the most part.

Patrick: 5

Mats Hummels

Paul: 6

Joey: 6

While Hummels could have done better defending Union’s equalizing goal, Mats stepped up and outperformed his fellow defenders for the remainder of the match.

Patrick: 6

Really wasn’t pressured too much throughout the game but was intelligent when he needed to be. I have trouble blaming him for the goal because his defensive partner fell asleep.

Niklas Süle

Paul: 4

I thought Süle struggled a little bit on Saturday, not helped by the early (literally first minute) yellow he picked up. His biggest contribution to the game ended up being a five-second stretch that gifted Union Berlin an equalizing goal. He failed to contest a long ball that Kevin Behrens knocked down for Sheraldo Becker, and to make matters worse, he completely lost Behrens after, only for Behrens to find space and slot home a pass laid off by Becker. A totally baffling stretch of play from the German international. Not his best day.

Joey: 5

Patrick: 4

Not the best day for Mr. Easter Island Head. Needs to at least pretend to follow his man on the goal. Would love for him to get some rest but I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon.

Rapha Guerreiro

Paul: 9

Guerreiro absolutely terrorised Union Berlin’s defense, contributing the assist for Donyell Malen’s opening goal and creating a whopping 1.5 xAG (expected assisted goals). He wasn’t just a force in the final third though. Guerreiro was also a source of a lot of BVB’s buildup play too, contributing an absurd 14 progressive passes (double anyone else on the pitch) and 260 yards of progressive carries (again, more than anyone else on the pitch).

To be fair, we all know what Guerreiro is capable of in possession; he is a brilliant football player. What made his performance that much more impressive was the fact that Rapha treated us to a defensive masterclass too, including a phenomenal last-ditch tackle towards the end of the game.

Joey: 7

Patrick: 8

Rapha is back.... and at left back! It was nice to see Guerreiro show that he can still play left back (just as someone predicted in the preview) against low block teams. Easily his best defensive game in a while. I’m fairly certain he is going to stay past this summer.

Emre Can

Paul: 8

Joey: 7

Emre Can holds this midfield together like I was hoping he would when Dortmund first signed him.

If you watched the game on ESPN+, the commentators suggested this was Emre Can’s fifth yellow of the season, meaning he would be suspended for the next game. However, he served a suspension for picking up five bookings recently, against FC Köln, so this is incorrect. The yellow Can picked up at the weekend was his sixth or seventh for the season.

Photo by Joachim Bywaletz/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Patrick: 6

Look, Emre has been arguably BVB’s best midfielder in recent weeks. He adds a lot of steel to this team. But to lose his cool and pick up a yellow card in the dying moments of the game a week after scolding Bellingham for losing his head? Silly.

It might not be fair to dock him points for something like this, after playing so well, but I think these moments are important.

Jude Bellingham

Paul: 6

Joey: 6

Patrick: 6

It looks as if Bellingham is an overworked and overplayed teenager... which is the case! I’ve really appreciated Terzic’s management recently, but I think his handle on when to rest Bellingham and when to let him play has been questionable. Regardless, Jude was lackluster against Union and needs to find some form.

Julian Brandt

Paul: 7

Brandt did some good work offensively, and was starting to find the rhythm that he was lacking against Bayern and RB Leipzig. It wasn’t quite where he was before the international break, but he’s trending in the right direction.

Joey: 7

Patrick: 6

Donyell Malen

Paul: 8

Don’t look now, but Donyell Malen looks to be turning into the player BVB thought they were buying.

Joey: 8

It only took him the better part of two years!

Patrick: 8

As my peers mentioned, the Malenaissance continues!

Karim Adeyemi

Paul: 7

Joey: 7

We are seeing glimpses of why Adeyemi was so highly regarded at Salzburg. I think he’s only going to get better.

Patrick: 8

Honestly, one of the biggest achievements in 2023 has been turning Adeyemi and Malen in to viable weapons. I think Adeyemi can still improve but he’s young and hungry.

Sebastien Haller

Paul: 6

Joey: 6

Patrick: 6

I think Haller will benefit from Moukoko’s return. It will give him a chance to rest, and provide some much needed competition. After a lengthy layoff, it’s fair to say that the French-Ivorian hasn’t hit his stride, but I’ll trust the process.

Substitutes

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens

Paul: 6

Joey: 7

Patrick: 6

Bynoe-Gittens is really good on the ball, but he continues to make dumb choices in the final third. Feels like he’ll either pass it to an opponent or score a banger, usually the former. Dortmund could have extended their lead over Union, late in the game, but JBG decided to go for a shot, instead of playing in Jude.

Marco Reus

Paul: 6

Joey: 7

Reus is getting old, but he still has a role to play at BVB. His creativity and tenacity were just what BVB needed in the final fifteen minutes.

Patrick: 7

Youssoufa Moukoko

Paul: 7

Joey: 8

Very mature goal from the young German. It clearly meant a lot to him as he sprinted to hug Terzic. Moukoko once again proved to be the difference-maker.

Patrick: 7

I’m sure many coaches will be showing their U13 team’s Moukoko’s goal and saying “That’s why you don’t stop your run!”. Loved him hugging Terzic at the end,

Salih Özcan

N/A

Overall

Paul: 7

Borussia Dortmund can’t afford to drop many (maybe any) points down the final stretch in the Bundesliga. We don’t know if Bayern will slip up, but if they do, BVB have to make sure they’re there to make the most of it. After a rough week, Dortmund showed up against a very good Union Berlin side and were the better team and deserved winners. They need to do this seven more times over the next six weeks.

Joey: 7

After two very disappointing losses against Bayern and Leipzig, Dortmund were able to bounce back with a decent performance and important result against third-placed Union Berlin. Let’s hope Terzic has his squad back on track for this final stretch of the season.

Patrick: 8

My favorite hobby is giving everyone 5s, 6s, and 7s, and then giving the team an 8. Despite no standout players and super strong performances, I think BVB played a good game. Union are a difficult side to face, especially when they’re defending, and they made Terzic’s men look worse than they are. Despite that, the team won and felt like they deserved to win. Now they just have to win 7 more times.