Borussia Dortmund Player Ratings vs Bayer Leverkusen: 2/10 for Zagadou; rest get 6 or lower

The Borussia Dortmund defence was left in shambles once again as they succumbed to a 5-2 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.

The Bundesliga title race could well and truly be over as Borussia Dortmund slumped to a shock 5-2 defeat at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. The defeat means Bayern Munich, thanks to their narrow 3-2 victory RB Leipzig on Saturday, are now leading the table with a nine-point advantage over Dortmund, with very little chance of a potential turnaround.

As the scoreline suggests, it was a shambolic performance from the Black and Yellows, who were completely taken apart by Leverkusen’s offensive quality. A well-calculated system employed by Gerardo Seoane utilised by the depleted Dortmund backline, with two of their goals, including the opener, originating from individual errors from the opposition defenders.

Dortmund, in response, were toothless going forward, missing the presence of their star striker Erling Haaland. They were unable to create enough chances and were largely pegged back by a sharp Leverkusen side that pressed well and denied the ball-carriers the freedom in the middle of the park.

It not only led to a lack of chances for Dortmund but also forced them to concede turnovers in dangerous positions. In the end, Leverkusen capitalised on their chances to score five goals past Gregor Kobel, with the hosts only scoring two in response, one of which was a late consolation goal from substitute Steffen Tigges.

Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Borussia Dortmund players in their shambolic defeat to Bayer Leverkusen this weekend.

Gregor Kobel: 6/10

Despite conceding five goals, Gregor Kobel was one of the more formidable figures in the Dortmund defence with his shot-stopping abilities. He was alert to every danger and although failing to save Robert Andrich’s free-kick was not a good look, the goalkeeper was largely left helpless by the ineffective Dortmund backline.

Thomas Meunier: 5/10

It was a bizarre game for Thomas Meunier. The right-back did play a crucial part in forcing the own goal from Jeremie Frimpong that helped Dortmund equalise. However, he did not fare all too well defensively and was subbed off at half-time, perhaps due to fitness reasons.

Manuel Akanji: 4/10

Manuel Akanji was culpable for conceding the first goal as he nullified Kobel’s save by unintentionally putting the rebound into the back of his own goal. Usually quite reliable, the Swiss international looked abject, to say the least, struggling to deal with the offensive threat of the talented Leverkusen attackers.

Dan-Axel Zagadou: 2/10

It was yet another disappointing performance from Dan-Axel Zagadou. The player was dawdling inside his own half for a large part of the game, struggling to keep up with the speedy Leverkusen attackers like Moussa Diaby, Karim Bellarabi and Julian Wirtz. Not to mention, he was culpable for conceding the all-important opener, and it would be a surprise to see him earn a contract extension at Dortmund.

Raphael Guerreiro: 4/10

Raphael Guerreiro had a dull outing, given all his talents and ability to cause problems in the opposition half. The left-back largely had to contend with the threat of Bellarabi, which stifled his progression going forward, whereas his lack of defensive solidity made it easier for Leverkusen to break apart the BVB backline.

Mahmoud Dahoud: 4/10

Operating in the holding midfield role ahead of Axel Witsel, Mahmoud Dahoud’s presence in the middle of the park was useless, to an extent. The former Borussia Monchengladbach star was largely anonymous, and when he was involved, he ended up conceding a foul that led to Robert Andrich’s free-kick goal.

Julian Brandt: 5.5/10

Playing against his former team, Julian Brandt did offer certain moments of spark and effectiveness with his attacking contributions. One of his crosses notably led to Frimpong’s own goal, but the playmaker did not receive enough support or freedom to make a bigger impact on the proceedings.

Jude Bellingham: 4/10

It was an underwhelming performance from Jude Bellingham. The Englishman tried to do too much on his own, and it appears the youngster is struggling with form in early 2022. Dortmund fans will be hoping it is only a rough patch.

Marco Reus: 5/10

Marco Reus was largely ineffective as he struggled to properly utilise his ball-carrying abilities. The Dortmund captain was afforded very little space in the final third, which led to him being isolated on certain occasions. He will be disappointed with his team’s performance in this crucial Bundesliga match-up.

Donyell Malen: 4/10

Coming on the back of three assists against Hoffenheim, Donyell Malen was a mere spectator as he simply could not influence the game enough. Given the lack of support behind him, very few could blame the Dutchman.

Thorgan Hazard: 3/10

Marco Rose’s decision to deploy Thorgan Hazard did not exactly work out as planned. The Belgian international offered very little going forward and was eventually subbed off by Gio Reyna around the hour mark.

SUBSTITUTES

Marius Wolf: 3/10

Marius Wolf replaced Meunier at half-time, much to the detriment of the Dortmund backline. The former Eintracht Frankfurt star offered more freedom to the dangerous Diaby, failing to mark him on numerous occasions.

Giovanni Reyna: 6/10

It was a pleasant sight for Dortmund fans to see Gio Reyna returning to the pitch. The American international offered moments of brilliance with his excellent close control and certainly deserves a start in the next game.

Youssoufa Moukoko: N/A

A late replacement for Malen. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.

Steffen Tigges: N/A

A late replacement for Reus. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.