A midfield masterclass: Julian Brandt and Mahmoud Dahoud showed their quality in win over Schalke
By Adam Bakr
Mahmoud Dahoud
Starting in his second consecutive Bundesliga game, Mo Dahoud put in a man of the match effort. He was dominant on both ends of the pitch and helped break down a number of Schalke counter attacks.
He was involved in Dortmund’s early efforts to find the opening goal. After getting the ball from Sancho, he found Haaland in behind with a weighted through ball. It looked like the cut back was open but Schalke were able to force the ball out. From the resulting corner, Dahoud was unlucky not to score one of the goals of the season. As the ball was cleared out to him, he hit the bar from a swerving effort from well outside of the box.
Soon after, Dahoud played a big role in keeping the game scoreless. After a misplaced pass from Akanji gave Rabbi Matondo a chance to run at the backline, Dahoud recovered to disrupt the forward and prevent him from getting a clean pass or shot off.
He was never dribbled past in midfield and finished the game with two interceptions. He also won an impressive eight duels, and ran his socks off, showing great commitment and desire. His high pressing and energy were also crucial in the win.
While a lot of his play does not show up on the stat sheet, his control of the game was unquestionable. He dictated the pace of the game and helped keep Dortmund’s backline unbothered. His work rate and positioning also made life easier for Brandt, letting him roam without any concern, and made for much quicker build-up play.