Jadon Sancho runs rings around the Arminia Bielefeld defence as Borussia Dortmund secure a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Borussia Dortmund continue their push into the top four of the Bundesliga league table following yet another convincing 3-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday. The victory at Signal Iduna Park extends their winning run to three games in all competitions as they maintain pressure on the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen.
The Black and Yellows were by far the better team throughout the course of the game, although they did have some problems finding the breakthrough in the first half. Arminia, too, were wasteful in front of goal and were duly punished as Mahmoud Dahoud scored the opener three minutes after the restart.
The goal opened the floodgates, with Dortmund completely dominating the game during the second 45 minutes. They doubled their lead just before the hour mark, through a penalty strike from Jadon Sancho before Reinier added the finishing touches by scoring his first Bundesliga goal in the 81st-minute mark.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will take a closer look at how the Borussia Dortmund players performed in this convincing win over Arminia Bielefeld this weekend.
Marwin Hitz: 7/10
Marwin Hitz started ahead of Roman Burki despite the Dortmund number one returning to full fitness. It was a pleasant game for Hitz, who wasn’t quite troubled by the Arminia attackers but had to remain alert. It was yet another welcome clean sheet for the Swiss international, who recently signed a new contract extension at the club.
Mateu Morey: 7.5/10
Mateu Morey was given the nod ahead of Thomas Meunier due to his performance against Schalke in the last game. The young right-back didn’t disappoint this time either, providing some excellent support going forward. His link-up play was also impressive as he provided himself as a passing option for the attackers in the final third.
Emre Can: 8/10
Emre Can had an outstanding game at the heart of the Dortmund backline. He made multiple tackles when Arminia did venture forward, one of which was crucial in neutralising a goalscoring opportunity. He was typically vocal as well, motivating his fellow teammates to push forward and dominate the game.
Emre Can quietly a monster today.
— Adam Darowski (@fussballtwit) February 27, 2021
Mats Hummels: 7/10
Mats Hummels certainly wasn’t as influential as Can in the Dortmund defence. However, the veteran centre-back used his experience to read the game and made a few interceptions. His composure on the ball was equally important in helping the hosts comfortably play the ball out from the back.
Raphael Guerreiro: 8/10
Raphael Guerreiro offered a solid display from the left-hand side. He moved up and down the pitch, offering creativity in the final third while linking up well with his teammates in the build-up play. Had a key role to play in the build-up towards the second goal and the left-back should play an essential role for Dortmund in the upcoming game against Gladbach.
Mahmoud Dahoud: 8/10
Mahmoud Dahoud made quite the impact in central midfield. Acting as a number six, the German looked mature in possession, not taking too many risks and simply offering himself as a hub in the middle of the park. Capped off an ideal performance with an attempt from range that beat Stefan Ortega as the former Gladbach man continues his redemption.
GOAL! 1-0!
⚽️ Mo #Dahoud
?️ @Sanchooo10@Sanchooo10 becomes the youngest player ever to reach 50 Bundesliga assists! #BVBDSC pic.twitter.com/ibV0WTIaSl— Borussen ✍? (@BorussenEdits) February 27, 2021
Giovanni Reyna: 7/10
Giovanni Reyna is still not up to the task yet as he had a rather disappointing start to the game. However, the young playmaker worked hard in the final third, looking lively and trying to create chances for his teammates. It certainly wasn’t his best of performances but a clear sign of improvement nonetheless.
Jude Bellingham: 7.5/10
Jude Bellingham retained his place in the starting eleven in the absence of Thomas Delaney and Axel Witsel. The young Englishman didn’t disappoint either, using his aggression, physicality and overall box to box qualities to good effect. As such, he was a vital cog in Dortmund’s sheer dominance in the game. One not just for the future, but also for the present.
Marco Reus: 8/10
Marco Reus had an excellent start to the game as the Dortmund captain looked lively in the final third, creating multiple opportunities. He also had one attempt saved by Ortega while winning the penalty that led to the second goal. Another hard-working performance from the Borussia Dortmund sensation, whose leadership should be critical in the coming games.
Jadon Sancho: 9/10
Jadon Sancho was by far the best performer of this game as he made life miserable for the Arminia Bielefeld defenders. Indeed, the winger looked hungry and menacing whenever he had possession, using his trickery and understanding with teammates to completely bamboozle the opposing backline.
Jadon Sancho with a goal and an assist for Dortmund today.
He’s the youngest player in Bundesliga history to reach 50 assists ✨ pic.twitter.com/FSeuDrqsS5
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 27, 2021
Sancho capped off his display with a composing strike to convert the penalty. In addition, he registered the assist for Dahoud’s opener as the Englishman continues his inspiring form in 2021.
Erling Haaland: 8/10
It was certainly not the most eventful game for Erling Haaland considering lofty standards, with the forward notably amassing just eight touches in the first half.
However, an improved second-half display saw him cause quite a lot of problems for the Arminia backline. His work-ethic, pace and powering runs with the ball offered the additional edge to the BVB attack. Also deserves credit for unselfishly squaring the ball to Reinier for the third goal.
The boys stepped up today! ??⚫️? pic.twitter.com/RrphXYRhCk
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) February 27, 2021
Substitutes
Thorgan Hazard: N/A
It was refreshing to see Thorgan Hazard making his return to the pitch. It was his first competitive appearance in 2021 and for Dortmund fans, first of many. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Reinier: N/A
Reinier replaced Reus for the final ten minutes but needed only 22 seconds to find the back of the net. Did not play enough to warrant a rating, though.
Thomas Meunier: N/A
A late replacement for Morey. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Julian Brandt: N/A
A late replacement for Dahoud. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Dan-Axel Zagadou: N/A
Made his welcome return to the pitch for the final minutes. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
