Raphael Guerreiro and Julian Brandt scored, but Borussia Dortmund had a catastrophic collapse as Werder Bremen handed them a 3-2 defeat on Saturday.
Borussia Dortmund began the game strongly, coming hot off the gates and pinning Werder Bremen back. But while the hosts were on top in the early stages of the first half, they went into a shell when Mahmoud Dahoud dislocated his shoulder. Werder Bremen took advantage and pushed forward once the opportunities presented themselves.
The visitors were more prolific in shot-making and forced a few saves out of Gregor Kobel. But the Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper was solid between the sticks, helping his team come through unscathed. And Kobel’s showing helped when Julian Brandt scored out of nowhere at the stroke of half-time to break the deadlock.
A similar pattern ensued after the interval, with Dortmund starting things off strongly before going into a shell. Werder Bremen had a few bright moments, but Nico Schlotterbeck and Kobel were resolute at the back for Dortmund. And the Black and Yellows scored another goal out of nowhere, as Raphael Guerreiro unleashed a fiery long-range effort that caught Jiri Pavlenka unsighted.
But the hosts shot themselves in the foot when they looked set to grab the three points as Werder Bremen struck thrice in quick succession to complete a remarkable turnaround. Lee Buchanan, Niklas Schmidt and Oliver Burke found the back of the net to condemn Dortmund to a 3-2 defeat. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Edin Terzic’s men.
88’: Dortmund 2-0 Werder Bremen
FT: Dortmund 2-3 Werder Bremen— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 20, 2022
Gregor Kobel: 5/10
Kobel was enjoying a superb game until the 89th minute when his weak effort kept the move alive which ended with the first Werder Bremen goal. And he did not cover himself in glory when the visitors scored two more goals to condemn Borussia Dortmund to an embarrassing defeat.
Marius Wolf: 4/10
Terzic gave Wolf the nod ahead of Thomas Meunier on Saturday, but the 27-year-old failed to justify the Borussia Dortmund manager’s decision. He barely carried a threat in the final third while retaining a paltry 63 per cent passing rate and lost possession a staggering 26 times. And he was abysmal when Dortmund conceded the three late goals. Meunier will surely return next week.
Mats Hummels: 6/10
Hummels was generally solid and did not put a foot wrong, making a few crucial clearances and blocks. The German defender was also efficient with the ball at his feet, losing possession only six times. But he went off injured and will be concerned about his time off the pitch.
Nico Schlotterbeck: 6/10
Schlotterbeck singlehandedly kept Dortmund ahead for much of the game and produced one emphatic block to keep his team in front. But the German international failed to see the game out as Dortmund collapsed, which brings his rating down considerably. Still, there were a few positives to take from this outing.
Raphael Guerreiro: 6/10
Raphael Guerreiro just scored this!#BVB
— wyngback (@wyngback) August 20, 2022
Guerreiro was not at fault per se for any of the goals that Werder Bremen scored. However, the Portuguese international was generally off colour on Saturday as Dortmund’s game plan made him irrelevant in the final third. In addition, he failed to impose himself defensively. But his goal was sensational and might have sealed the three points on another day.
Jude Bellingham: 5/10
Bellingham was the driving force for Dortmund producing a professional performance despite lacking the cutting edge for the most part. But the English international lost his composure when Werder Bremen piled the pressure, losing the ball in the build-up to the third goal by the visitors. It was a rare blip for Bellingham.
Mahmoud Dahoud: N/A
Dahoud’s game ended before it even began as he dislocated his shoulder, which ended his outing after only 18 minutes. He had helped Dortmund remain on top before his substitution.
Julian Brandt: 6/10
Brandt had a peculiar outing on Saturday as he was uninspiring in the final third, producing several wasteful touches in the first half. But the German international broke the deadlock out of nowhere, opening up play smartly with a feint before unleashing a finessed left-footed strike. However, that was as good as it got for Brandt, who barely posed a threat in the second half before going off for Thorgan Hazard.
BRANDTASTIC ? pic.twitter.com/ejESi81umt
— BVB Buzz (@BVBBuzz) August 20, 2022
Marco Reus: 6/10
Reus was the chief creator for Borussia Dortmund while being direct when he was around the Werder Bremen box. But some dogged defensive work by the visitors meant he could not aim for the goal throughout the evening. He also became careless towards the end of the game, losing the ball 13 times.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens: 6/10
Bynoe-Gittens was a bundle of energy and a major reason why Borussia Dortmund directed most plays from the left flank. The attacking prodigy linked up beautifully with Guerreiro and Reus while looking to take the game to the visitors. But his impact waned once Dortmund started to play through the middle, and Terzic rightly took him off after the hour mark.
Anthony Modeste: 5/10
Modeste endured a frustrating game as he barely got involved while constantly getting into offside positions. The assistant called him offside thrice, which is remarkable, considering he managed just 12 touches in his outing despite being on the pitch for 80 minutes.
SUBSTITUTES
Emre Can: 4/10
Emre Can might not have anticipated playing the game, let alone appearing off the bench in the first half. But the German international did well to fill Dahoud’s void in the middle of the park, although he was one of the guilty parties when Borussia Dortmund capitulated, and he failed to mark Schmidt for the second Werder Bremen goal while leaving his team prone to counter-attacks.
Giovanni Reyna: 5/10
Gio Reyna back in Bundesliga action for the first time since his injury in April ✨ pic.twitter.com/5XY9eiW9wc
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 20, 2022
Reyna made his first appearance for Borussia Dortmund in four months. But he did not enjoy a dream return to the pitch as he was wasteful in possession, losing the ball six times. He will hope to rediscover his best in the coming weeks.
Niklas Sule: 4/10
Sule replaced an injured Hummels midway through the second half and settled into his role well. But he lost the plot when Dortmund collapsed in the game’s dying embers, as he failed to mark his man. In addition, Werder Bremen caught him out of position a few too many times. That was not the best home debut for Sule.
Thorgan Hazard: 6/10
Hazard was one of the best performers for Dortmund on Saturday, and he tried to kill the game following his introduction. The Belgian international came close to scoring, but Pavlenka denied him with a smart stop. He barely lost the ball and was not at fault for the capitulation.
Youssoufa Moukoko: N/A
Moukoko replaced Modeste late on but barely got a touch, with Werder Bremen turning the game on its head following his introduction.
