Niklas Süle scores his first for Dortmund
Did you watch what I just watched? Borussia Dortmund came into this match without a win in their last three Bundesliga outings, while Stuttgart was experiencing something of a resurgence. BVB were also winners over Hannover midweek in the cup but that performance left much to be desired. Today, Dortmund took their -1 goal differential in the league and converted it to +4. It was an exciting afternoon in the Westfalenstadion when none other than Jude Bellingham opened the scoring. By halftime, BVB led 3-0 and the match finished 5-0. I could recap the whole game, but I’ll just watch the highlights later to relive the best moments. I prefer games when Dortmund makes it difficult to choose a Man of the Match because of a performance like this, but we’ve tried our best to nominate four.
Here are our picks for Man of the Match:
Niklas Süle
Sule hasn’t had the stellar start to his tenure at Dortmund that many anticipated. Today however, he showed his value. Niklas made an immediate impact from the start, assisting Jude Bellingham’s goal in the second minute, before netting his first for Dortmund just ten minutes later. In addition to his attacking contributions, Niklas was vital in BVB’s defense, maintaining a clean sheet. Süle playing as a right-back is something I think I can get used to.
Gio Reyna
I was admittedly nervous when I saw Gio’s name in the starting line-up. As a USMNT fan, it breaks my heart every time this kid gets injured. That being said, I’m so glad Reyna started because I was reminded of the talent this young American brings to BVB. He was heavily involved in most attacking plays today and scored right before halftime. It was a goal that must have meant so much to him as nearly the entire Dortmund squad piled on top of Gio in celebration.
Youssoufa Moukoko
This young German has once again found his way into our Man of the Match Poll. Moukoko is fast around the attacking third of the pitch and he’s always looking hungry for the ball. Today, he produced another strong performance, assisting Gio’s goal and scoring his own in the seventy-second minute. When is Dortmund going to hand him a new contract?
Jude Bellingham
Jude opened the scoring in the second minute and shell-shocked Stuttgart. He continued to be a thorn in their defense as he completed several dribbled into the box. Jude may have scored four in this season’s Champions League campaign but the Bundesliga scoresheet had thus far eluded him. Not anymore! Jude scored two today and the angle at which he scored his second was world-class.
Honorable Mentions:
Rapha Guerreiro
Nico Schlotterbeck
Julian Brandt
[Source: fearthewall.com]