Borussia Dortmund player ratings from 2-1 win over Mainz 05

Salih Özcan [5/10]

With Jude Bellingham suspended, Salih Özcan became the man responsible for linking BVB’s defensive and offensive game. Özcan struggled to find his place in this new role as he seemed uncomfortable for most of the game.

His ball progression was poor and his link-up play with Julian Brandt was practically non-existent. It was only in the second half, when he dropped back to the number six role, that he solidified his game and strengthened the team’s defensive efforts.

Emre Can [6/10]

The absence of Jude Bellingham in midfield provided an opportunity for Emre Can to feature. Often heavily criticised for inconsistent performances and silly errors, Can proved to be a valuable asset as the defensive midfielder until he was replaced by Gio Reyna.

His positioning in between Süle and Schlotterbeck meant Mainz could not find spaces that would allow their forwards to go through on goal. Can’s attempts at progressing the ball forward however, were futile as the midfielder often took too many touches and often over-complicated his game.

Julian Brandt [7/10]

Julian Brandt’s chance creation in the first half was extremely limited. His lack of offensive output was mainly due to the hosts’ fierce determination to defend their goal.

Additionally, not having the aid of Bellingham meant Brandt was often left with no choice but to pass the ball backwards and start over. When the hosts began to move up their lines in the second half, Brandt’s creativity began flowing as we all know and love. Terzic’s second half substitutions also contributed to Brandt’s offensive capabilities. And the playmaker ended up delivering a peach of a corner in the 93rd minute that resulted in the winning goal.