Marco Reus was involved in five goals as Borussia Dortmund registered a thumping 6-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach.
After a shocking 4-2 defeat to Rangers in midweek, Borussia Dortmund issued a perfect response by securing a massive 6-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday. The three points helped them maintain pressure on Bayern Munich, who swept aside Greuther Furth on the same day.
It was a dominant performance from the Dortmund side that exhibited a more aggressive mentality. They pressed the opposition quite well and were not afraid to play direct football. It eventually made things difficult for the opposition, especially with the attackers working in tandem in the final third.
To no one’s surprise, Dortmund drew first blood in the 26th minute through Marco Reus. The BVB captain then turned provider for Donyell Malen in the 32nd minute, handing his team a comfortable 2-0 lead heading into half-time. Despite the lead, Die Schwarzgelben did look extremely shaky at the back and might have conceded at least twice had it not been for their goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
However, things were much more comfortable after the restart. Especially after the introduction of the subs, Dortmund looked untouchable, with Marius Wolf finding the third goal in the 70th minute, before Youssoufa Moukoko, another substitute, made it four.
There was still time for more goals, with Reus bagging his second in the 81st minute before Emre Can added the final touch by converting a spot-kick in the last minute of the game. Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Borussia Dortmund players in their statement win over Gladbach this weekend.
Gregor Kobel: 8/10
Gregor Kobel was the undisputed star of the Dortmund defence and the main reason behind the clean sheet. He made at least four world-class saves to deny Gladbach a way back into the game in the first half. In addition to his shot-stopping abilities, the goalkeeper offered leadership and aggression that revitalised the BVB backline. He will be extremely happy with the back-to-back clean sheets in the Bundesliga.
Remember when Borussia Dortmund fans used to complain about their goalkeeper?
Enter Gregor Kobel.#BVBBMG #BVB pic.twitter.com/f4AuOXmAuR
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) February 20, 2022
Emre Can: 7.5/10
Emre Can had to operate on the right-hand side of the back three in the absence of Manuel Akanji, Mateu Morey and Thomas Meunier. He did a decent job of covering his defensive partners. His aggression played a key role in driving Dortmund right from the beginning, with the German capping off a solid display by converting the spot-kick to make it 6-0.
Mats Hummels: 6.5/10
Mats Hummels had a mixed outing. In the first half, he looked defensively shaky, offering a couple of questionable passes that may have led to goals from Gladbach. At the same time, the veteran was a useful outlet in the build-up play, notably registering an exquisite assist for Reus’s second goal of the evening.
Dan-Axel Zagadou: 5/10
Dan-Axel Zagadou once again struggled to get a foothold in the proceedings. In the early stages of the game, the defender committed a foul and received a booking. He looked extremely uncomfortable when dealing with the threat of Jonas Hofmann before picking up an injury that forced him off right before half-time.
Zagadou whenever he challenges for a ball: pic.twitter.com/Mgq2I7vsWE
— Fear the Wall (@FearTheWall) February 20, 2022
Thorgan Hazard: 6/10
Thorgan Hazard was given the opportunity to operate as the right wing-back in the absence of a recognised right-back. However, the Belgian did not offer too much going forward. He was not involved much in general, both offensively and defensively. He was subbed off midway through the second half.
Mahmoud Dahoud: 7/10
Mahmoud Dahoud had a rather impressive outing at the base of Dortmund’s 3-4-2-1. His ability to control possession and offer forward passes played a key role in helping Borussia Dortmund dominate the proceedings in the middle of the park. His decision-making can be questionable at times, but the midfielder is certainly one of the most influential players at BVB.
Jude Bellingham: 7/10
Jude Bellingham was another bright spark in the BVB midfield. He offered energy, urgency and enthusiasm in the second line of press, ultimately playing a role in stifling the contributions of Florian Neuhaus and Kouadio Kone. The Englishman could not register a goal or an assist but worked well behind the scenes.
Jude Bellingham becomes the second youngest player in Bundesliga history to reach 50 appearances in the league #BVB pic.twitter.com/V27aZgs0M5
— BVB Buzz (@BVBBuzz) February 20, 2022
Raphael Guerreiro: 7.5/10
Raphael Guerreiro was a constant creative outlet on the left hand side for Borussia Dortmund. The Portuguese international exhibited good understanding with teammates and crafted multiple goalscoring opportunities. He remains a top player for the Black and Yellows, although the left-back certainly needs to work on his defensive contributions.
Giovanni Reyna: 6.5/10
In what was his first start since his return from a long injury layoff, Giovanni Reyna was unfortunate enough to pick up another knock. He looked distraught and could not hold back tears after being substituted around the half-hour mark. Dortmund fans will be hoping that the youngster’s injury isn’t too serious.
Marco Reus: 10/10
Marco Reus was the star of the show. He looked in mesmerising touch, linking up well with attackers and creating a plethora of goalscoring opportunities. It resulted in the attacker bagging no less than three assists. On the goalscoring front, he looked sharp in front of goal and took his opportunities well. The captain even had the chance to score a hat-trick, but he refused to take the late penalty.
Marco Reus has two goals, three assists, and Dortmund get a penalty in the 90th minute.
Emre Can takes it.
This is a crime against football.#BVBBMG
— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) February 20, 2022
Donyell Malen: 7/10
Donyell Malen put in a great shift in the number nine role. His decision-making was sloppy, as ever, but the Dutchman worked hard and showed impressive commitment. He was also on hand to score the vital second goal for Dortmund, just before the hour mark.
SUBSTITUTES
Julian Brandt: 7.5/10
Julian Brandt produced a calculated performance after replacing the injured Reyna around the half-hour mark. He didn’t take many risks, which saw him concede fewer turnovers. Brandt crafted a few scoring chances as well and was slightly unlucky not to find the back of the net himself.
Marin Pongracic: 6.5/10
Marin Pongracic replaced the injured Zagadou just before half-time. The on-loan Wolfsburg defender looked solid in defence, providing good support to Hummels and managing to keep Hofmann quiet for the most part.
Youssoufa Moukoko: 7/10
Youssoufa Moukoko made a telling impact after coming on midway through the second half. His pace and energy caught the Gladbach defence off-guard, with the youngster deservedly netting a goal late in the proceedings.
Youssoufa Moukoko in the Bundesliga:
☑️24 games
⏱️556 minutes
⚽️4 goals
?️2 assists
?directly involved in a goal every 93 minutesThese are some really decent numbers for a 17-year-old. pic.twitter.com/lOUnnBDT8H
— Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) February 20, 2022
Marius Wolf: 7.5/10
Marius Wolf added more life to Dortmund’s right flank after replacing Hazard. He made his introduction by scoring from a stunning effort in the 70th minute before winning the penalty that led to the sixth goal from Emre Can.
Nico Schulz: 6.5/10
Nico Schulz showed the intent that was missing from most Dortmund players in the midweek affair against Rangers.
