While starting out the season with a trophy would have been nice, what I was really looking for out of Borussia Dortmund’s Supercup performance today was any reason to be excited about the upcoming season. We’ve heard a lot of hype about Ole Book’s signings this summer, and today was their first real test under the spotlight.
Well, I am happy to say that the new boys very much looked the part. While today’s performance had its fair share of negatives, which I’ll be sure to catalogue in the post-match,
this article is for the hype. Here are my man of the match candidates:
Giannis Konstantelias
I now understand why PAOK fans were calling this kid the Messiah. From his first touch in the second half, when he single-handedly won a free kick against three Bayern defenders, almost everything he did was money. His capstone of the night was a beautiful run and pass to Svensson to set up Dortmund’s only goal.
Konstantinos Karetsas
I don’t know what they’re feeding these kids in Greece, but someone’s gotta bottle it. Karetsas started the match for BVB and was easily the side’s best player in the first half. His passing was elite. He had one switch of play across the pitch, while practically falling down under pressure, that landed perfectly at Svensson’s feed from 40 yards away. He should have had an assist when he put in an absolutely perfect cross that was laid right up for Guirassy, but the striker couldn’t bury it.
Fabio Silva
Silva seemed like a huge improvement over Guirassy, who really struggled to get into the game much at all. Silva was able to use his pace a lot more effectively and participate much more in the buildup. He was rewarded for his efforts with a solid finish past Manuel Neuer to make the game 2-1.
Gregor Kobel
The Dortmund goalkeeper had a very strong night, making eight saves on ten shots, including a great diving effort to rob Luis Diaz of a golazo.
Your Thoughts
Who was your man of the match? Let me know your thoughts!
