Player Ratings: Borussia Dortmund dramatically beat FC Koln

New signing Michy Batshuayi started his first game for Borussia Dortmund after arriving in Germany only a few days earlier. Batshuayi will probably be known as The Batman in the coming months and will try to lead keep BVB to the top of the table.

Roman Burki (4/10)

All of the hard work Burki put into his first-half performance was nearly pointless in the second half. Burki got tested today and prevented some howlers. Personal issues with whistling aside, Burki has to be better because he is not playing well. It is difficult to imagine Dortmund maintaining a top spot in the table with Burki between the post. Dominik Reimann deserves a chance at this point.

Jeremy Toljan (7/10)

Jeremy Toljan put on another great performance today. Stöger really has brought the best out of the defender and it is almost like a second Piszczek is on the field. Toljan also provided Batshuayi’s opening goal and made defenders work hard on the attack. His defending did lack a bit as he wasn’t always able to run back to the line quick enough in the second half.

Omer Toprak (7/10)

Omer Toprak and Sokratis make a powerful combination as centre-backs and it shows. Unfortunately, as a team, the defence was lacklustre in the second half. Toprak played impressively for 90 minutes, making some important plays on the day. There is a necessary dark side to his defending on set pieces and in the box. Toprak needs to improve in those areas.

Sokratis (8/10)

Without Sokratis, it is difficult to see the BVB defense stop the opposition. He is a key player and even with new defenders join, the acting captain is the one to watch. Sokratis is partly responsible for the win on the road today. The clearing header in the closing minutes of the match was nothing short of the reason.

Lukasz Piszczek (5/10)

The Polish defender did a decent job in the back line. Piszczek did not offer many offensive contributions though. He made plenty of key defensive plays today and is absolutely necessary on the pitch.

Julian Weigl (6/10)

Julian Weigl created a big impact for Dortmund in the first half. Weigl is consistently running around to get in possession to be able to distribute the ball. In general, it was a silent day from the German International. The pressure he adds in the midfield though, that is currently difficult to find in some teams and it makes him irreplaceable.

Mahmoud Dahoud (4/10)

Mahmoud Dahoud is a midfielder with a lot to lose lately. His unfortunate performance today saw a yellow card. Not only is Dahoud lacking in playing time, he is invisible when he plays. His start with Borussia Dortmund and where he is now is underwhelming. Dahoud left the game for Raphael Guerreiro. He needs to find his form as soon as he can.

Shinji Kagawa (6/10)

Early in the match, Kagawa made his contributions swift. The pairing with Weigl is almost always successful. Kagawa always finds a great position to be in and creates plenty of opportunity for his teammates. He made not have continued his goal scoring streak, but the Japanese International will look to continue his form.

Christian Pulisic (5/10)

Christian Pulisic’s average performance against Koln is concerning. He completed two breakout years and is now in a slump. The teenager continues to create and shows his skill, but decision-making is not the forefront of his game at the moment. Pulisic lost possession late in the game and it turned into a goal for Koln. Soon after, he was replaced by Jadon Sancho. Chalk this as another performance he wants to forget.

André Schurrle (7/10)

Schurrle used one of his few starts with BVB to have one of his best games in recent history. The attitude Schurrle took on the pitch is different from previous outings and he scored the game winner. Originally, many expected him to move back to England, but he is deciding to roll the dice in Germany now. The Germany international will hope to earn a trip to the World Cup this summer with performances like today.

Michy Batshuayi (8/10)

Michy Batshuayi arriving on loan is the only negative from this entire transfer. Batshuayi is a joy to watch as his goal scoring is only second to his passing. Ending the day with 2 goals and 1 assist is a great way to kick his career off in black and yellow. Surprisingly, he almost had a hat-trick on his debut, but he was called offside in the end.

Raphael Guerreiro (4/10)

Guerreiro came on for Dahoud, but beyond a few passes, he did not make an impact on the home side. Guerreiro did become important after Sancho went down with an injury. The Portuguese International made smart decisions when playing a man down and he may find better use in a different formation. Stöger will need to change his 4-3-3 for something else though. His late-game passing with Kagawa made for entertaining football.

Jadon Sancho (5/10)

Sancho is another example that BVB is intelligently investing in younger players. From the back line, Sancho providing the pass to Batshuayi lead to Schurrle’s game-winner. He came down with an injury late in the game, forcing his teammates to play with 10 men. There have not been many updates on the injury he got.

Manuel Akanji (NR)

Akanji came on for Schurrle in the closing minutes of the match. In the few minutes he played, he had an impact by preventing the home side from scoring off a cross into the box. Akanji will need to get more play time for everyone to truly see what he can do.