There’s something strange occurring in Dortmund. Typically, if you told me that Borussia Dortmund played Mainz in a match involving three set-piece goals, I would assume the match ended 3-1 for Mainz and
they brought Jude Bellingham onto the field at full-time to cry for nostalgia’s sake. Instead, Dortmund actually scored three set pieces. You can check out the full match breakdown here, but the real take-away is that Niko Kovac is modernizing Dortmund’s set-piece tactics. The next best take-away is that Julian Ryerson is the best athlete on this green earth. Here is the (slightly one-sided) cast for man-of-the-match!
Julian Ryerson
Four assists, including one off of what was essentially an own goal, puts Ryerson in rarefied air. The Norwegian’s delivery in this match was genuinely incredible. Sure, some praise should be for the players who found themselves on the end of the delivery or for the tacticians who schemed Dortmund’s set-piece renaissance, but Ryerson strung together perfect chances throughout the match. Outside of his delievery, the wing-back was harrying Mainz’s defenders across all 90 minutes. Now, if only Ryerson could assist SBNation with making working polls.
Serhou Guirassy
Dortmund’s star striker has found his scoring boots… or head? Guirassy has quietly amassed five goals in his last three games including two today. He didn’t have to work hard for either goal but he was in the right place at the right time. Nice work Serhou!
Ramy Bensebaini
When Nico Schlotterbeck is out of a match, Ramy Bensebaini is the next best thing. The 30-year-old center-back was great defensively with Mainz failing to muster a chance on their right flank. More importantly, Bensebaini acted as a Schlotterbeck stand-in by completing the most passes across the match with most of them into the feet of Dortmund’s midfield.
Maximilian Beier
While Guirassy and Ryerson stole the headlines, Maximilian Beier put in another great performance. His leaping header at the back post is something we have seen before and he looked like Dortmund’s most dangerous player for most of the match. He earned the foul that led to Dortmund’s initial goal.
Your Thoughts
Let us know who the MOTM was below! If not Ryerson, then – what is wrong with you?
