PLAYER RATINGS | Augsburg 0-1 Borussia Dortmund: Disciplined BVB win again | OneFootball

Augsburg played host to Borussia Dortmund to kick off Matchday 9 of the Bundesliga season, looking to ease the pressure on manager Sandro Wagner. Meanwhile, Dortmund were eager to build on their last-gasp victory over 1. FC Köln last time out.

Augsburg made six changes from their 1-0 defeat midweek to 2. Bundesliga strugglers Bochum. Dortmund also felt the need to rotate accordingly by making seven changes after they triumphed on penalties away to Eintracht Frankfurt.

For much of a quiet first half (on the pitch at least), Augsburg did well to nullify the threat posed by the visitors. However, at the tail end of the opening period, BVB broke the deadlock courtesy of Serhou Guirassy. A fortunate break in the build-up left the Guinean bearing down on the Augsburg goal, the Guinean managed to squeeze the ball underneath Finn Dahmen. When it rains, it pours, it seems for Wagner at the moment.

Augsburg managed to force their first real chance of the game on 73 minutes when Alexis Claude-Maurice dispossessed Jobe Bellingham on the edge of his own third. The Frenchman picked out Elvis Rexhbeçaj, who was about to let fly as Bellingham recovered with an outstanding block to deny the Kosovan.

For the remainder of the second half, Augsburg continuously probed the Dortmund backline. They would stand strong however and see out another win despite being nowhere near their best.

Augsburg can consider themselves slightly hard done by to be on the end of a defeat here, one defensive error and it cost them dearly. Wagner’s side face a daunting trip to in-form Stuttgart next weekend, but time will tell whether the Bavarian native is still in the dugout for that game.

Meanwhile, Dortmund travel to Manchester City on Wednesday night as they return to Champions League action. Before facing a fourth away game on the spin at Hamburg next weekend.

Augsburg 0-1 Borussia Dortmund Player Ratings

Augsburg: Finn Dahmen (6) – Robin Fellhauer (4), Noahkai Banks (5), Chrislain Matsima (6), Keven Schlotterbeck (6), Dimitrios Giannoulis (5) – Fabian Rieder (6), Han-Noah Massengo (4), Elvis Rexhbeçaj (5), Alexis Claude-Maurice (5) – Mert Kömür (5)

Others: Anton Kade (6), Elias Saad (5), Ismael Gharbi (6), Phillip Tietz (-), Samuel Essende (-)

Borussia Dortmund: Gregor Kobel (6) – Yan Couto (6), Aarón Anselmino (5), Waldemar Anton (7), Ramy Bensebaini (6), Maximilian Beier (7) – Pascal Groß (6), Felix Nmecha (7) – Carney Chukwuemeka (6), Julian Brandt (5) – Serhou Guirassy (6)

Others: Daniel Svensson (6), Jobe Bellingham (6), Marcel Sabitzer (6), Julian Ryerson (6), Karim Adeyemi (-)

GGFN Player of the Match: Felix Nmecha (7)

Not too many standout performers from either side means Felix Nmecha takes home the prize, despite being substituted in the 62nd minute. Nmecha controlled the game when he was on the pitch, making plenty of his trademark marauding runs, turning defence into attack in a heartbeat.

Maximilian Beier also deserves a mention, tasked with playing at left wing back until Julian Ryerson was introduced with a quarter of an hour to go, Beier did not look out of place and made a total of five defensive contributions as per Fotmob.

GGFN | Harry Good