Borussia Dortmund 1-2 FC Köln: BVB player ratings from deserved defeat

Axel Witsel (4.5/10)

It was a typical Witsel performance when playing against a defensive team. He played with discipline and had a solid pass success rate. But rarely did he look for the dangerous, forward passes. And more often than not, he was happy to spread the ball sideways and backwards. He was also too slow to react on a number of Köln’s counter-attacks.

Emre Can (6/10)

As always, Can played with great desire and wasn’t afraid to get stuck in. The German international worked hard and tried to make things happen. But despite the effort, he was lacking the quality in the final third.

Playing two holding midfielders against a team without a win since March was a poor idea by Lucien Favre. Jude Bellingham and Mahmoud Dahoud have been in excellent form of late, and having them on the pitch would have improved the team going forward without a doubt. Instead they warmed the bench all game.