Dortmund travelled to Paderborn hoping to get an easy victory to bounce back from their Klassiker defeat, and keep hold of second-place in the Bundesliga.
But they would not get any of that easily, as they met a resolute Paderborn, who managed to contain them in the first half – allowing only 1 big chance, while making 3 half-chances for themselves.
But Dortmund were far better in the second half, and after creating tons of chances, they managed to score through Hazard.
Only 3 minutes later, Brandt set Sancho up for a tap-in, and the young Englishman did the needful.
Soon thereafter, Paderborn though that they had pulled one back, but it was ruled out for offside.
But, in the 70th minute, Paderborn won a penalty after Zolinski’s shot hit Can’s elbow. Hünemeier fizzed it past Bürki.
However, in less than 2 minutes, Sancho turned inside the Paderborn box, and finished with his left foot.
With 6 minutes remaining, Hakimi found the bottom corner with a drilled shot from the edge of the box, to make it 4.
And yet again, with 2 minutes left, Schmelzer was able to turn Witsel’s cross in.
Finally, Sancho was able to complete his hat-trick in the 91st minute.
So, it ended rather flatteringly, 1-6 to Dortmund.
Tactics:
Paderborn were obviously set up to defend and hit Dortmund on the break, which they did well.
Due to the lack of Haaland, the Dortmund front three of Brandt, Hazard and Sancho was very fluid, with the three of them exchanging positions.
As is the case very often with Dortmund, the game was decided by sheer quality.
Ratings:
Paderborn:
Leopold Zingerle – Made lots of saves in the first half, but couldn’t keep Dortmund at bay in the end. 6.5.
Mohamed Dräger – Decent down the right, but failed to stop the Dortmund wingers. 5.
Uwe Hünemeier – He was decent at the back, and converted the penalty emphatically. 6.
Christian Strohdiek – Mediocre in defence, as got caught out a couple of times. 4.5.
Sebastian Schonlau – Did alright in holding midfield to prevent Dortmund from steaming through in the first half, but couldn’t hold out in the second. 5.25.
Sebastian Vasiliadis – Looked lively in the first half, but his influence waned thereafter. 6.
Gerrit Holtmann – Decent down the left, as he helped Collins contain Hakimi. 5.5.
Jamilu Collins – Was very good on the left flank, as he not only contained Hakimi, but he also gave him something to worry about. Made a crucial block to deny Hazard as well. 6.5.
Dennis Srbeny – Was decent in midfield, as he drew a couple of fouls as well. 6.
Streli Mamba – Was alone up front, and couldn’t do much there. 5.
Christopher Antwi-Adjei – Paderborn’s best attacker. Had three decent chances, but his finishing let him down. Quitened in the second half. 6.25.
Subs:
Ben Zolinski – Lively after coming on, and did well to win the penalty. 5.5.
Team – Paderborn fought resiliently in the first half, but got battered in the second. They weren’t as bad as the scoreline reflects, but they certainly did not deserve to win. Survival looks very difficult and unlikely for them now. 5.5.
Dortmund:
Roman Bürki – Didn’t have much to do, and almost got to the penalty, but you couldn’t expect him to save it. 6.5.
Łukasz Piszczek – Saw lots of the ball, and his distribution was great too. 7.
Mats Hummels – Solid defensive performance from the veteran. 7.
Manuel Akanji – Not great, as he was wasteful in possession. But he was decent defensively. 6.25.
Achraf Hakimi – Rather contained throughout the match, as he couldn’t turn on his after-burners. But did well to calmly finish and get a goal late on. 6.5.
Can – Was very lively in midfield, especially going forward. Did well to set up Hazard’s goal. 7.25.
Thomas Delaney – Very strong in holding midfield, as he broke all of Paderborn’s attacks down. 7.
Raphaël Guerreiro – Was heavily involved down the left flank. His passing was very precise too. 7.
Julian Brandt – Was very threatening, but didn’t have his shooting boots on. Did well to set up Sancho, though. 6.75.
Thorgan Hazard – Looked lively down the middle, as he burst through a couple of times. Found himself in the right place to open the scoring for Dortmund. Did well to assist Sancho’s second too. 7.5.
Jadon Sancho – Caused trouble with his pace and silky feet yet again, and got a hat-trick in the second half. 7.75.
Subs:
Marcel Schmelzer – Brilliant to see him score! 6.5.
Team – Dortmund didn’t look great in the first half, but they steamrolled Paderborn in the second half. Their title charge might be over, but they do look like a force to reckon with. 7.25.
What This Means:
Paderborn are all but relegated now, as they are 8 points adrift of safety. But they can take some confidence from this match, as they shutout Dortmund in the first half, and contained the scoreline to only keep it at 1-2 after 74 minutes. The last 16 minutes were miserable though, but if they hold on to their players, we might see them again in 2022.
As for Dortmund, they hold on to 2nd place with a resounding victory, which serves as a warning for all the sides around them, including Bayern, who will need to keep winning to secure the title. They certainly will qualify for the Champions League at this rate. It’s good recovery after their Klassiker defeat on Tuesday.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
