Jadon Sancho bags two assists as Borussia Dortmund secure Champions League football with a 3-1 win over 1.FSV Mainz.
Borussia Dortmund extend their winning run to seven games in all competitions after registering a 3-1 victory over 1.FSV Mainz on Sunday. The result helps them seal their place in the UEFA Champions League next season, after Eintracht Frankfurt dropped points against FC Schalke on Saturday.
It was a sublime attacking display from the Black and Yellows, especially during the first half as they ran rings around the Mainz defence. Raphael Guerreiro drew first blood with a thumping effort in the 23rd minute before Marco Reus netted another, just before half-time to give his team a two-goal lead heading into the interval.
The dynamic of the game, however, changed considerably after the restart as Mainz looked more energetic. The hosts even poured more men forward in search of the goal, and were perhaps unlucky not to find one. Roman Burki, in particular, played a key role in helping Dortmund holding on to their two-goal cushion.
It eventually became three when substitute Julian Brandt scored the third in the 80th minute, although Mainz did find a consolation goal through a penalty during late stages of the game. Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over Borussia Dortmund players in their comfortable win over the 05ers this weekend.
Roman Burki: 8/10
Roman Burki produced a scintillating performance in between the sticks for Borussia Dortmund, making two excellent saves to deny Mainz from sparking a potential comeback in the second half. The BVB goalkeeper deserved a clean sheet but got unfortunate as Thorgan Hazard conceded a silly penalty late in the game.
Thomas Meunier: 7.5/10
Thomas Meunier was filling in for the injured Mateu Morey and Lukasz Piszczek. Dortmund fans were always sceptical of his involvement, but the right-back silenced his critics by producing a solid performance. He looked impressive in possession, providing some decent crosses as well as helping out the attackers going forward.
Manuel Akanji: 7/10
Manuel Akanji had occasional moments of sloppiness, especially when Mainz pushed hard for a goal in the second half. For the most part, though, the Swiss international remained sturdy at the heart of the backline, using his physical and aerial prowess to good effect. Also read the play well – making some important interceptions.
Mats Hummels: 7/10
Mats Hummels’ experience, coupled with his ability to read the game was a vital feature in Dortmund’s defensive effectiveness. Although the veteran centre-back did have problems keeping up with the pacy attackers, at times, he more than made up for it with his composure in possession and aerial superiority.
Raphael Guerreiro: 8/10
Raphael Guerreiro was one of the stars of the show for Borussia Dortmund in this game. The left-back was a menace with his offensive movements, especially in the first half, as he linked up well with Jadon Sancho while creating multiple opportunities. His brilliant strike for the opener was the highlight of the defender’s performance.
Raphael Guerreiro stats against Mainz ? :
Total Shots – 1
Shots on Target – 1
Goals – 1
Assists – 0
Passing Accuracy – 89%
Passes – 113
Long Balls – 1
Touches – 131
Fouls – 1
Dribbles won – 1
Tackles – 1— POKALSIEGER 2021? (@BorussenStats) May 16, 2021
That said, Guerreiro was extremely clumsy on the defensive side of his game. He looked sloppy on many occasions, while also looking quite tired for the majority of the second half.
Jude Bellingham: 7.5/10
Jude Bellingham controlled the midfield with his work ethic and determination to influence the game. The youngster was brilliant in tight spaces, often acting as a useful ball carrier in transition. He even tried to threaten the Mainz goalkeeper, at times, and produced a solid display overall in the middle of the park.
Mahmoud Dahoud: 7/10
Mahmoud Dahoud certainly did not have the best of games against Mainz, considering the lofty standards he has set for himself during the second half of the campaign. Nevertheless, the former Gladbach man did what he had to do – recycling possession and keeping things neat and tidy in the midfield third for Borussia Dortmund.
Giovanni Reyna: 6.5/10
Giovanni Reyna started out as a right-winger but operated in a more central role – as a partnering ball-carrier to his teammates. The youngster looked impressive with his touches and passing. However, the American international was also quite complacent at times, lacking the energy to not only impact but see the game through, as he was subbed off during the 75th minute.
Marco Reus: 8/10
Marco Reus was yet again one of the best performers in this Borussia Dortmund win. The captain led the line with aplomb, inspiring his team with some incisive runs, and link-up play in and around the final third. Reus most notably scored the second goal for Dortmund, capitalising from the chance created by Jadon Sancho.
Marco Reus stats against Mainz ? :
Total Shots – 1
Shots on Target – 1
Goals – 1
Assists – 0
Passing Accuracy – 81%
Passes – 44
Long Balls – 5
Touches – 58
Fouls – 0
Dribbles won – 2
Tackles – 0— POKALSIEGER 2021? (@BorussenStats) May 16, 2021
Jadon Sancho: 8.5/10
Jadon Sancho was arguably the best player of the evening, in this crucial affair at the Coface Arena. Despite a slow start to the game, the Englishman settled in well with the pace of the game, combining brilliantly with Guerreiro out wide to cause all sorts of problems for the Mainz backline.
Sancho was extremely clever in exploiting little pockets of spaces, which was evident in the second goal, as he ran into an empty space. Two assists could be an ideal way to cap off the final away game of the season for Dortmund.
Jadon Sancho in all competitions for Dortmund:
2017-18: 5 goals, 7 assists
2018-19: 13 goals, 20 assists
2019-20: 20 goals, 20 assists
2020-21: 16 goals, 20 assists— Goal (@goal) May 16, 2021
Erling Haaland: 7.5/10
Erling Haaland failed to find the back of the net and break or even match Timo Werner and Jupp Heynckes’ record of scoring the most number of away goals in a Bundesliga campaign.
However, the Norwegian’s off-the-ball movement was impressive, especially as the striker thrived in physical duels against the likes of Alexander Hack and Jeremiah St. Juste. The youngster deservedly bagged the assist for the third goal, as he selflessly squared the ball for Brandt to finish, in a counter-attack which he started.
Substitutes
Julian Brandt: 7/10
Julian Brandt made an instant impact after coming on for Reyna during the final phase of the game. The playmaker showcased excellent footwork, before netting the final third goal for Dortmund.
Thorgan Hazard: N/A
Careless defending saw him concede an unnecessary penalty late in the game. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Nico Schulz: N/A
A late replacement for Guerreiro. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Reinier: N/A
A late replacement for Sancho. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Thomas Delaney: N/A
A late replacement for Bellingham. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
