Marco Reus registered his 100th assist for Borussia Dortmund, helping the Black and Yellows secure a 2-1 win over FC Augsburg.
Borussia Dortmund returned to winning ways in the Bundesliga after securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over FC Augsburg at the Signal Iduna Park on Saturday. It was a positive result that helps them put the pressure on Bayern Munich, who are set to face a tricky test against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
Dortmund themselves had a tricky outing against Augsburg as they struggled to create too many opportunities in the final third. It appears they really found it difficult to manoeuvre possession in the final third without the physical presence of Erling Haaland and it was evident especially against the Bavarians this afternoon.
The hosts, though, still managed to get a goal for themselves thanks to a Raphael Guerreiro penalty inside ten minutes. But the lead didn’t last long as Andi Zeqiri equalised in the 35th minute taking advantage of a friendly rebound to beat Gregor Kobel in goal.
The goal forced Dortmund to come out all guns blazing in the second half as they started to create more and more clear-cut opportunities. But this time around, the Bundesliga giants looked very wasteful in the final third and were lucky to get away with a Julian Brandt strike in the 51st minute that was misjudged by the opposition goalkeeper, with the goal ending up proving to be the winner.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will rank the Borussia Dortmund players in their narrow win over Augsburg this weekend.
Gregor Kobel: 6.5/10
Gregor Kobel didn’t have much to do this evening apart from saving a one-on-one situation that was ruled out due to offside. He couldn’t have done much to save the long-range effort from Augsburg either and was unlucky that the rebound fell kindly for Andi Zeqiri. His search for a first clean sheet in the Bundesliga for his new club continues.
kobel playing like he got rent due
— fabi the jude stan (@phosphoreus) October 2, 2021
Thomas Meunier: 6/10
Thomas Meunier performed well during certain stages of the game. But he wasn’t as effective as he has been lately, looking rather sloppy in possession and extremely slow when building up from the back. The Belgian didn’t look fit in many ways, eventually making way for Thorgan Hazard around the 50th-minute mark.
Manuel Akanji: 7/10
Manuel Akanji was solid defensively, barely allowing any freedom for the Augsburg attackers. The Swiss international has indeed turned into a defensive leader for Borussia Dortmund, though he could improve his heading game when attacking the opposition goal and his defending from set-pieces, in general.
Mats Hummels: 6.5/10
Mats Hummels offered the quality in the build-up play, as usual. His passing helped the home side play out from the back quite effortlessly, though his trademark long diagonal balls were missing. The veteran centre-back also struggled with fitness and eventually made way for Marin Pongracic midway through the second half.
Raphael Guerreiro: 7/10
Raphael Guerreiro raised a lot of eyebrows with his composed penalty to open the scoring for Borussia Dortmund. Apart from that, the left-back offered good offensive support from his teammates, moving forward with the ball at every turn. He also showcased excellent versatility by playing in a multitude of roles throughout the course of the game.
Raphael 'I play left-back, defensive midfield, left wing and take free-kicks and penalties" Guerreiro…
— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) October 2, 2021
Axel Witsel: 6/10
Axel Witsel looked slow in midfield, offering very little substance for Dortmund. His approach play slowed down the home side, with the veteran appearing way too passive in his passing. He really seems to struggle when facing a well-drilled pressing unit that offers very little space in between the lines.
Jude Bellingham: 6.5/10
Jude Bellingham was excellent as ever with his work rate, aggression and dynamism in the middle of the park. However, the youngster wasn’t as influential as one would expect, as the absence of Mahmoud Dahoud restricted his offensive movements, forcing him to operate alongside Witsel in the double-pivot.
Julian Brandt: 6.5/10
Julian Brandt was given the nod in central midfield in the absence of Dahoud. But the former Bayer Leverkusen star didn’t look influential at all, failing to beat his markers most often than not while conceding possession far too cheaply at times. He was clearly an unlikely scorer in the second half, but his effort did help him collect three points for his team.
Marco Reus: 6.5/10
Marco Reus assisted Brandt’s winner, thus becoming the first player in Borussia Dortmund’s history to register 100 goals and 100 assists in all competitions. It was a marvellous achievement for a player who has given incredible service to his home town club over the past nine years or so.
Marco Reus is the first player in Borussia Dortmund history to register 100+ goals and 100 assists ?
?????? ?? pic.twitter.com/eTzW8eUO9E
— Goal (@goal) October 2, 2021
Apart from the assist, though, the German international had a poor game. He was extremely wasteful in front of goal, missing at least three golden opportunities to find the back of the net and put the game to bed. The experienced forward certainly needs to find his feet if Dortmund are to challenge for the league title.
Marius Wolf: 7/10
Marius Wolf produced a fighting display after earning a well-deserved start for Borussia Dortmund this afternoon. He looked determined to impress, and although the former Eintracht star did not offer too much technical quality on the pitch, his energy was vital in keeping the BVB machine ticking.
Not to mention, Wolf was extremely versatile, slotting into multiple roles and working hard for his team, both offensively and defensively. Unfortunately, his night was cut short after an injury that forced him off during the final phase of the game.
Donyell Malen: 6.5/10
Donyell Malen looked energized and confident, having scored his first goal for Dortmund in midweek’s win over Sporting CP. He won the early penalty for Dortmund after being fouled by Jeffrey Gouweleeuw. But his influence faded after that, as the Dutchman found it difficult to breach the Augsburg defence that fared rather well. The attacker ultimately made way for Reinier in the 72nd minute.
Substitutes
Thorgan Hazard: 6/10
Thorgan Hazard had a glorious opportunity to put the game to bed but he couldn’t beat goalkeeper Rafal Giekiewicz even in a one-on-one situation. Looked sloppy with his offensive play as well, with Dortmund fans hoping that the international break will give him the edge he requires in his game.
Marin Pongracic: 7/10
Marin Pongracic looked extremely solid after coming on for Hummels around the 66th-minute mark. He wasn’t afraid to pass in between the lines, thus offering another dimension to BVB’s build-up play from the back.
Emre Can: 6.5/10
Emre Can made his return to the pitch in the 66th minute, replacing Witsel. He looked solid, barely allowing Augsburg to control the game and push for an equaliser. His return serves as a massive boost for the hosts.
Reinier: 6/10
Reinier made himself a useful passing outlet during the final phase of the game. It wasn’t enough to find the third goal, though.
Nico Schulz: 6/10
Nico Schulz didn’t offer much quality at left-back, looking rather vulnerable at times.
