A midfield masterclass: Julian Brandt and Mahmoud Dahoud showed their quality in win over Schalke
By Adam Bakr
Thomas Delaney
It was not the busiest outing for Delaney, with Borussia Dortmund largely controlling the game. Still, his presence played a part in shutting down counter attacks early, and also gave more freedom to the other midfielders.
He was never caught out of position, always residing in front of the backline. Because of his presence, Schalke’s counter attacks never saw them with a numerical advantage, and they came to nothing more often than not. He also pressed well and ran the most distance for Borussia Dortmund, covering 11.3 km.
His defensive presence also gave Brandt and Dahoud freedom to attack, which was especially seen with the former. He did not get into the attack too much himself, but that was far from his role on the night.
Next. Borussia Dortmund player ratings from win over Schalke. dark
He did all the dirty work for his side and wasn’t afraid to lunge for a tackle in if need be. Delaney has proven time and time again that he is an important team player for Borussia Dortmund, and today he showed again just why he is such a valued part of the squad.