After a disappointing draw in Hamburg last weekend, Borussia Dortmund unleashed a flurry of signings throughout the week and a flurry of goals today to seal three points in their home opener. Niko Kovac’s side took on Union Berlin and, after a shaky start to both halves, ran riot. The lineup was a very familiar 3-5-2 for Borussia Dortmund but featured some very unfamiliar faces and changes. New signing Aaron Anselmino was deployed as a right-back after signing earlier this week while Dortmund’s attacking contingent was shaken up with Julian Brandt and Maximilian Beier replacing Pascal Gross and Karim Adeyemi.
After being greeted by an amazing tifo from the Sudtribune, Dortmund’s players started on the back foot. Union Berlin was playing direct and knocking on the door within the first 15 minutes, but Dortmund quickly grew into the game. Serhou Guirassy had several half chances in the opening 40 minutes and it was Yan Couto who opened the door for him in the 44th minute. The Brazilian wing-back dribbled around two defenders before putting in an inch perfect cross to a waiting Guirassy who smashed the ball home and sent the hosts into the locker-room with the advantage.
The second half began like the first – with a fiery performance by Union Berlin in the opening exchange but Dortmund closed the door soon after. Guirassy and Beier combined for a perfect one-two pass to rip through Union Berlin’s five-man defensive line and the former chipped the ball to earn his brace. The team made several changes and lowered the tempo to see out the rest of the match. Substitute Felix Nmecha thwacked the ball to earn the teams third goal, and three points, in the 81st minute to put the game to bed. Overall, it was a very convincing performance where Dortmund showed their firepower and, more importantly, defensive stability. Now the club has two weeks off for the international break and will be back on September 13.
I think most of us were shocked when Yan Couto started over Julian Ryerson in Hamburg last week and even more surprised when he did it again today. Now, I will be surprised if Couto doesn’t start in Dortmund’s next match. The 23-year-old wing-back has found life at Dortmund difficult and even made headlines this offseason lamenting his time in Germany. Something must have changed for the Brazilian today as he became the player we hoped he would. Couto struggled against the physicality of Robert Skov within the first 15 minutes but shifted into a new gear and harried the opposition’s left flank throughout the match. In the 44th minute, he got the home crowd on their feet with a wonderful dribble and then launched a ball into Guirassy to put Dortmund ahead 1-0. The second half featured more of the same for Couto as everything flowed through Dortmund’s right side. He led the match in dribbles and did a fantastic job at shutting down Berlin’s width. Let’s hope for more of the same from Couto!
It will be a few more weeks until Borussia Dortmund fans see the teams newest signing, Fabio Silva, but several new signings showed up for the team’s home opener. Jobe Bellingham, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Aaron Anselmino all featured to mixed results. Jobe Bellingham played very well throughout the Club World Cup for Borussia Dortmund but his life in the Bundesliga has been much harder. After playing as an attacking midfielder in Hamburg last Saturday, Jobe started this match as a defensive midfielder and struggled with the ball at his feet. The 19-year-old would come back to act as an outlet for Dortmund’s center-backs but struggled to turn and drive into midfield. More often than not, he was just a backboard for Waldermar Anton to practice his passing. Jobe is undoubtedly talented but needs to find his feet before Nmecha, who notched a goal, relegates him to the bench.
