We have made it to the first international break! Huzzah!
In seasons gone by, this would the point where we would already be talking about the gap to Bayern Munich, but in this instance of the Bundesliga, BVB go into the break all smiles. Four wins in four matches, including challenging games against Hoffenheim and Stuttgart, mean that BVB can consider the first segment of the season a success.
Stuttgart did not make things easy for BVB, with resolute defending over ninety minutes, but their disjointed
attacked meant that Dortmund ultimately offered their opponent more opportunities than they fashioned for themselves. Beier’s goal was the the result of a genuinely brilliant pass from Jobe Bellingham in a match that otherwise lacked attacking rhythm for either side. But who cares! Three points make for a happy occasion.
Here are today’s candidates for MOTM!
Maximilian Beier
Oh Beier. You play striker, everyone yells at you. You play wing, everyone yells at you. Why must everyone yell at Maxi Beier? Why can’t we just be nice to Maxi Beier? Dortmund’s multitool was deployed at CAM/CF today, what many would call his natural position, and he played a decent match. He was not a constant threat to the opposition goal, but he got up and down the field, and had the spacial awareness to slice through the Stuttgart defense and call his own number to snag Dortmund’s only goal of the match. And thank goodness. Beier’s goal makes this a statement victory for BVB, and is a great response to his many haters.
Gregor Kobel
BVB’s shot stopper faced five shots on target and he saved them all. They were not all stinging efforts, but none of them went in the net. Two clean sheets for Greg will have him feeling good heading off to represent his nation for a few weeks.
Felix Nmecha
This is a statistics pick. Nmecha had eight ball recoveries, 93% pass accuracy, and won 80% of his ten duels. He didn’t necessarily look like the best player on the pitch to me, but sometimes that is what being a midfielder is all about—get stuck in, don’t be flashy, and put in your shift. Feel free to dispute me in the comments if I missed something, but a good day on the stats sheet is good for me.
Nico Schlotterbeck
BVB’s defense looked pretty good even with Schlotterbeck out injured; with Schlotterbeck on the pitch, the defense looks like a serious force. With the cool head of Anton in the center of the trident, and two genuine forces of nature on his left and right, BVB might have something brewing in front of their world-class goalkeeper. Today’s performance was what you have come to expect from Schlotterbeck—industrious, precise, and with that extra touch of class from the quarterback spot. He still looks to me like he may be missing a step or two of match fitness, but certainly a few weeks with the king of counterpress, Jurgen Klopp, will have him in ship shape.
