Jude Bellingham and Thomas Meunier were the only positives as Borussia Dortmund slumped to a 1-1 draw against 1.FSV Mainz.
Borussia Dortmund suffered yet another massive blow in their title aspirations as they were held to a 1-1 draw by bottom club 1.FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday.
The Black and Yellows could have had the best possible start to the game as Erling Haaland scored an early goal. However, it was later ruled out by VAR as Thomas Meunier was offside in the build-up. Yet, Dortmund should have scored at least three or more goals considering their sheer dominance in the first half. They not only managed to have the lion’s share of possession but also created numerous goalscoring opportunities.
However, a wasteful performance in front of goal saw the two teams head into half-time goalless. It gave Mainz the much-needed hope as the 05ers defended deeper in the second half. They looked much more resilient and even tried to catch Dortmund on the break. They were ultimately rewarded with a goal in the 57th minute, though it needed a wonder strike from Levin Oztunali to find the breakthrough.
Borussia Dortmund were quick to respond, though, restoring parity in the 73rd minute through Thomas Meunier. Minutes later, the hosts were awarded a penalty as well, but it was missed by Marco Reus. It turned out to be the last real opportunity for the Bundesliga giants, who continue their awful form against bottom clubs.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Dortmund players in their poor display against Mainz this weekend.
Roman Burki: 6/10
Roman Burki had nothing much to do as Mainz were mostly content in defending deep and inviting pressure from the opposition. That said, should have done better for the opener, as he was completely beaten by Oztunali’s long-range effort. Another missed clean sheet for the Swiss international.
Thomas Meunier: 8/10
Thomas Meunier was one of the better players for Borussia Dortmund in this fixture. The right-back looked promising right from the beginning, notably playing a key role in Haaland’s early goal that was ruled out offside. He provided continuous support from the flanks, while also looking very positive on the ball. A goal in the 73rd minute was a perfect way to cap off his performance, though the result didn’t go his team’s way.
Mats Hummels: 6/10
Mats Hummels deserves most of the blame for Oztunali’s breakthrough goal in the 57th minute. The experienced centre-back simply couldn’t deal with the Mainz attack, who used a nice trick to deceive him before unleashing a deadly strike towards goal. Hummels, otherwise, had a decent game, keeping check of the Mainz attackers.
That is all on Hummels imo
— Lars Pollmann (@LarsPollmann) January 16, 2021
Dan-Axel Zagadou: 7/10
Dan-Axel had a decent start to the game. He distributed possession with no real difficulty and even fared well defensively, using his imposing physical presence to good effect. Unfortunately, the centre-back picked up an injury late in the first half, prompting his substitution.
Raphael Guerreiro: 6.5/10
Raphael Guerreiro didn’t have the best of games against Mainz. The Portuguese international could have been much more influential down the left-hand side, particularly with his forward passes. Especially in the second half, Guerreiro’s performance was largely ineffective as the visitors were able to hold off the Dortmund attack.
Emre Can: 7/10
Emre Can had a decent game in the middle of the park. His imposing frame was key in helping Dortmund dominate the midfield in the first half. Unfortunately, the former Liverpool star picked up a yellow card which means he will not be available for the upcoming clash against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Jude Bellingham: 8/10
Jude Bellingham was by far Borussia Dortmund’s best player while he was on the pitch. The young English midfielder did everything right in the middle of the park, from offering dynamism to providing useful forward balls. His deadly right foot also made him a scourge from long-range, with the youngster notably hitting the bar once. Taken off around the hour as a precaution.
Axel Witsel averages 13 passes to the final third per game this season for Dortmund.
Jude Bellingham has already made 12 in the first half against Mainz.
— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) January 16, 2021
Jadon Sancho: 7.5/10
Jadon Sancho had a slow start to the game, failing to create too many chances in the final third. However, he eventually settled into the proceedings and was a menace for the Mainz defenders with his silky footwork and telepathic understanding with his teammates. Unfortunately for Dortmund, the young winger failed to provide that final ball that was needed to feed the likes of Haaland.
Marco Reus: 7/10
Marco Reus had a mixed performance against Mainz. The German international was a threat for the opposition defence throughout the course of the game and showed remarkable work-ethic by tracking back. At the same time, Reus was culpable for missing two of Dortmund’s biggest chances to score, one of which was a late second-half penalty.
Julian Brandt: 6.5/10
Julian Brandt had a promising start to the game as he linked up well with the likes of Sancho, Reus and Haaland. He created a few chances and even had a couple of attempts on goal. The former Bayer Leverkusen man failed to maintain his consistency though, almost looking anonymous in the second half.
Erling Haaland: 6/10
Apart from the early goal that was disallowed, Erling Haaland barely had a sniff on goal, largely thanks to some diligent defending from Mainz. The Carnival club kept the Dortmund forward completely quiet by restricting his movement and cutting off any supply in the middle of the park.
25 goals in 26 Bundesliga matches…
Yet Erling Haaland isn't on penalties for Borussia Dortmund ? pic.twitter.com/hety5dZlQa
— Goal (@goal) January 16, 2021
Substitutes
Manuel Akanji: 6.5/10
Manuel Akanji replaced the injured Zagadou deep in the first half. He looked quite composed on the ball which is no surprise as the Swiss international is currently one of the most in-form defenders in the Bundesliga. He couldn’t have done much to deny Oztunali the scoring opportunity though.
Youssoufa Moukoko: 7/10
Offered energy and enthusiasm in the final third after coming on for Bellingham around the hour-mark. In fact, the 16-year-old provided the cross that led to Meunier’s equaliser, although it wasn’t registered as an assist.
