Borussia Dortmund succumbed to a 4-3 loss at the hands of VfL Bochum despite a hat-trick from star man Erling Haaland.
Borussia Dortmund’s dismal run of form continued as they slumped to a 4-3 defeat at the hands of local rivals VfL Bochum, at the Signal Iduna Park. It was a shambolic defeat for the Black and Yellows, who continue to underperform against smaller teams despite sealing their second place in the league table.
As the scoreline suggests, it was an entertaining affair with both sides showcasing their attacking prowess. Bochum drew the first blood in the third minute, thanks to the club’s top goalscorer Sebastian Polter. Moments later Gerrit Holtmann’s stunning strike from range helped the visitors double their lead within the first ten minutes.
Dortmund, though, hit back brilliantly, with two quickfire goals from Erling Haaland helping them level the scoreline heading into half-time. The Black and Yellows completed their comeback in the 62nd minute when Haaland secured his hat-trick.
But there was still drama in store for the packed crown at the Westfalenstadion as Jurgen Locadia capitalised on a lapse in concentration from Manuel Akanji to level the scoreline before Eduard Lowen eventually made it 4-3 for Bochum, sealing all three points for the visitors that will go a long way in securing Bundesliga status for the minnows this season.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Borussia Dortmund players in their disappointing defeat to their local rivals at home this weekend.
Marwin Hitz: 5/10
It was a bad day at the office for Marwin Hitz. Despite looking calm in the build-up or under pressure, the Dortmund number two, filling in for the injured Gregor Kobel, was unable to offer valid protection in between the sticks and ended up conceding four goals.
Marius Wolf: 5.5/10
Marius Wolf put in a valiant display at right-back as ever. He tried his best to make things happen in the final third and offered some useful forays down the flanks. His lack of defensive acumen did allow Takuma Asano the space and time to make life difficult for the Dortmund centre-backs, though.
Manuel Akanji: 2/10
Manuel Akanji was one of the worst performers in this defeat to Bochum. He struggled to deal with the threat of Polter inside his own third and was solely culpable for conceding the third goal from Locadia. The majority of the Dortmund fans certainly won’t be too upset with losing the Swiss international, who has shown sub-par performances since the turn of the year.
4 goals conceded at home against a promoted side is the Manuel Akanji experience
— ً (@ffsMatthis) April 30, 2022
Dan-Axel Zagadou: 2/10
Dan-Axel Zagadou was another Dortmund defender, whose shoddy and careless performance pave the way for Bochum to score four goals at home, an unthinkable proposition for any Dortmund fan. The tall centre-back was extremely slow and careless on the ball while struggling to cope with the dynamism of the attackers. He is set to be released by the club in the summer.
Raphael Guerreiro: 3/10
Raphael Guerreiro was another culprit in the Dortmund backline. The left-back deserves the blame for the first goal as he was brought down way too easily out on the flanks. His lack of defensive acumen often makes him a liability for Dortmund and this was certainly one of those evenings.
Axel Witsel: 6/10
Back into the side after recovering from a short injury spell, Axel Witsel didn’t look all that bad. He controlled possession as well and offered decent support to Jude Bellingham during possession. Without the ball, Marco Rose may have preferred a bit more mobility in the Belgian’s game.
Jude Bellingham: 8/10
Jude Bellingham was one of the most impressive Dortmund players this evening. The young Englishman ruled the midfield with his movements and ability to carry the ball. His link-up play with teammates looked top-notch as well, while the youngster wasn’t afraid to get into challenges and lead the team from the front.
Julian Brandt: 8/10
Starting ahead of Thorgan Hazard on the right flank, Julian Brandt produced a solid display in the final third. He looked in extremely good touch, with some of his first touches coming off exquisitely well. He was the architect behind a plethora of Dortmund chances, while the playmaker also looked dangerous with his deliveries from set pieces.
If there's a player in this Dortmund team that personifies their passive ambivalance over sleep-walking to second place in the Bundesliga this season… it's Julian Brandt.
— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) April 30, 2022
Marco Reus: 7.5/10
Marco Reus looked extremely useful in the approach play. His awareness of players around him, coupled with his technical quality helped him thrive in the final third. But on a negative note, the German international looked extremely wasteful in front of goal and missed a glorious goalscoring opportunity that would have sealed the three points.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens: 7.5/10
In what was the maiden start of his professional career, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens made a solid impact on the left flank. He channelled Jadon Sancho by beating players at will and offering excellent link-up with the likes of Reus and Haaland. ios pace, trickery and ability to sniff scoring opportunities are qualities Dortmund have lacked all season.
Erling Haaland: 9/10
Erling Haaland produced a wonderful display of skill, technique and pace. He was always an option in the final third and was not afraid to work hard for his team, even track back whenever it was necessary. His seemingly telepathic link-up play with Reus and Bellingham made life difficult for the Bochum defenders.
Easy to say when a guy scores a hattie but this is clearly the best game Haaland has had in months outside of them as well
— Lars Pollmann (@LarsPollmann) April 30, 2022
The Norweigian capped off his excellent display with an equally impressive hat-trick. After a rough patch, the youngster is finally starting to find his goalscoring touch.
Substitutes
Felix Passlack: 6/10
Felix Passlack was brought in to offer more freedom to Wolf in the final third. But the move backfired as Dortmund had lacked the presence of someone like Gittens, the man he replaced.
Tom Rothe: N/A
A late replacement for Guerreiro. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Reinier: N/A
A late replacement for Wolf. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Youssoufa Moukoko: N/A
A late replacement for Brandt. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Antonios Papadopoulos: N/A
A late replacement for Witsel. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
