Borussia Dortmund suffered their third league defeat of the season, a 0:1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen on matchday 29 of the Bundesliga. Nico Schlotterbeck, who recently extended his contract, showed his value to BVB despite facing some jeers from the fans. Here are the player ratings and individual critiques for the Borussia Dortmund squad.
Robert Andrich scored the decisive goal in the 42nd minute with a powerful long-range shot, capitalizing on a misplaced pass from Ramy Bensebaini. You can find the full match report of the Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen encounter here.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings: Gregor Kobel
Kobel had little to do initially, and when danger arose, it was often due to his own errors. For example, around the half-hour mark, his misplaced pass initiated a Leverkusen attack that Christian Kofane finished harmlessly into Kobel’s hands. While not at fault for the goal, he made crucial saves in the second half to prevent BVB from falling further behind. Rating: 3.5
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings: Waldemar Anton
Anton had the most touches for Borussia Dortmund and an impressive passing accuracy, although most of his passes went to his defensive partner Schlotterbeck. He delivered a flawless performance with strong defensive contributions and was not to blame for the conceded goal. Rating: 2.5
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings: Nico Schlotterbeck
On the day after extending his contract with a significant escape clause, Schlotterbeck’s performance was error-free. He was strong in duels and effective in challenges. To convert the isolated boos from some BVB supporters into cheers would have likely required a heroic tackle in the box or a brace. In the second half, when many teammates seemed disoriented by the halted fan support due to a medical incident in the stands, he even provided some offensive impetus. Rating: 2
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings: Ramy Bensebaini
Bensebaini made a costly error with a misplaced pass during a transition that led directly to Robert Andrich’s surprise 0:1 goal shortly before halftime. He also received an early yellow card in the fourth minute for testing the tear strength of Ibrahim Mazas’s jersey. He attempted a shot from distance in the 80th minute. Rating: 4
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings: Julian Ryerson
Ryerson experienced neck pain without opponent contact within seconds of the match, requested a painkiller, and then showed no further signs of discomfort. He had more than double the ball touches of his counterpart Daniel Svensson, and no one played more passes in the final third. He was not the reason for BVB’s lack of attacking actions in the opposition box. He delivered a useful cross for Guirassy’s good header in the 59th minute. He was substituted in the 76th minute for Almugera Kabar. Alongside Schlotterbeck, he was Dortmund’s best player. Rating: 2.5
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings: Marcel Sabitzer
Sabitzer had a similar number of touches as Jobe Bellingham, played slightly more offensively, and had a bit more impact. However, it was also his responsibility to bring Dortmund players into the Leverkusen box more often. He took a hurried shot from distance and provided the penultimate pass for Guirassy’s good header in the 59th minute. He did not look pleased when he was substituted in the 65th minute for Carney Chukwuemeka. Rating: 4
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings: Jobe Bellingham
Bellingham was frequently involved, exceptionally strong in duels, and his team’s best ball-winner. He had a decent first half, though his overall build-up play was somewhat unproductive. Compared to Felix Nmecha, he lacks game dynamism in certain situations. His passes became less accurate as the game progressed. He was replaced by Salih Özcan in the 75th minute, who got some minutes on the field. Rating: 3.5
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings: Daniel Svensson
Svensson provided the cross for BVB’s first real chance and had an earlier shot attempt. He was active and engaged, although Dortmund built play more on the side of his partner Ryerson. It’s a question why he wasn’t more involved, as he deserved it. He was the first player substituted when Niko Kovac wanted to introduce more attacking flair. Rating: 3
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings: Fabio Silva
Silva played somewhat behind Guirassy rather than alongside him but struggled with the role of a floating striker, having as little impact as Guirassy. He was not entirely blameless for the 0:1 goal as he did not run towards Bensebaini’s pass, expecting a through ball and thus moving away from the ball. He improved slightly in the second half but remained largely ineffective for long stretches. He was substituted in the 64th minute for the 18-year-old Samuele Inacio. Rating: 5
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings: Julian Brandt
Brandt had BVB’s first real shot in the 18th minute, but his well-placed curling effort was headed off the line. It seemed to be a Brandt-centric game early on; the 29-year-old was enthusiastic, mobile, and very agile. However, he lacked a bit of luck, such as after his good ball recovery in defensive midfield just before halftime, which, due to Bensebaini’s subsequent misplaced pass, immediately led to the 0:1. He also lacked teammates who understood his intentions early enough, like Fabio Silva, who was a step too late after a technically brilliant assist from Brandt shortly after the restart. He faded in the second half when the BVB fans stopped their support due to a medical emergency in the stands. Rating: 3
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings: Serhou Guirassy
Although the players around him were doing many things right, Guirassy seemed somewhat isolated. He rarely received the ball, and when he was sought out, as with Bellingham’s through ball in the 27th minute, he did not anticipate the opportunity. He received a yellow card shortly before halftime for an overzealous action. After the break, he failed to convert a header, missing the equalizer. He was then jeered by his own fans when he shot from a difficult position in the 66th minute instead of passing. He later tried to win a penalty. It was not his game. Rating: 5
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayer Leverkusen Player Ratings: Substitutes
Maximilian Beier: Came on in the 58th minute for Daniel Svensson, intended to boost Dortmund’s attack. He at least sought the ball more often, but he didn’t do much right either. Rating: 4
Carney Chukwuemeka: Replaced Sabitzer, tasked with bringing more passion to the game. His pass completion and ideas were okay, but it helped the game little. Rating: 4
Samuele Inacio: Came on in the 64th minute for the ineffective Fabio Silva. Tried hard but was unlucky. Rating: 4
Salih Özcan: Came on in the 76th minute for Bellingham, allowing him to get some more minutes for BVB. Made a crucial save in the closing stages against Aleix Garcia. No rating.
Almugera Kabar: Came on from the 76th minute onwards for his first Bundesliga minutes this season.