Bundesliga: Top five performers of the Revierderby

Erling Haaland became the first goal scorer as the German top tier league resumed after two months.

The first ‘big game’ inaugurating the return of Bundesliga saw Borussia Dortmund give a 4-0 humbling to arch-rivals Schalke 04 to mark their return with a big win. The hosts showed very little signs of fatigue, taking the game right to the Royal Blues from the get-go.

Erling Haaland marked the first goal in the return of Bundesliga with a fine 29th minute finish. Raphael Guerrero then made it 2-0 just before the half-time break due to a goalkeeping error. Thorgan Hazard netted minutes after the first-half break, before Guerrero found his second in the 63rd minute.

Schalke’s poor defensive work and indecisiveness cost them as Dortmund’s ruthlessness glittered up an eerie, empty Signal Iduna Park. However, even without fans they proved they’re still that good. A number of players shined through for the hosts, while the same can’t be said for Schalke. Here are our Top five performers of the Revierderby.

5. Bastian Oczipka

While the entire Schalke side let themselves down on the night, the one who held his own was left-back Bastian Oczipka. He didn’t do much, but didn’t make mistakes like his teammates either. The left-back ventured forward well on occasions, putting up a few nice crosses and helping create a few things.

He kept Achraf Hakimi considerably contained and couldn’t really do much to stop the goals from flowing. In a considerably under-fit Schalke, Oczipka looked among the rare ones willing to fight for the shirt in this embarrassing derby loss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e5oS0651MY

4. Julian Brandt

With no Marco Reus on the day, Julian Brandt assumed his role of discreetly pulling all the strings in the attacking third. The German was extremely clever with his work but put in strong tackles to win possession and embark on counter-attacks. He played a clever ball for Guerrero’s first goal, before playing the pass for Hazard’s strike as well.

The midfielder worked with extreme elegance in the final third, cutting Schalke easily with his creative passes. He not only managed a brace of assists, but also managed a respectable 73% passing accuracy and four successful tackles in an all-round performance in the return of Bundesliga.

3. Thorgan Hazard

Hazard was in red-hot form before the suspension of Bundesliga and picked up right from where he left off. Thorgan was a dynamite in the final third, moving into all the dangerous areas to open up Schalke’s backline. The Belgian’s off the ball movement allowed him to slip into prime areas, allowing him to provide the assist for Haaland’s goal.

He then topped off a great afternoon by hitting a powerful strike which went through Markus Schubert’s hands into the net. Hazard proved that he can be just as deadly and majestic as his acclaimed brother and inspired Dortmund into gaining an unassailable lead even before the first-hour mark.

2. Raphael Guerreiro

Guerreiro received enough freedom to romp through the left-wing and he took the opportunity with both hands. The wing-back was relentless in moving forward, always making himself an option for his fellow teammates. However, his risk-taking ability to wonder into the middle gave him a lot of joy on the day.

Raphael Guerreiro’s electric forward move allowed him to slot away his first to give Dortmund breathing room before the end of the first-half. He then received another one due to poor defensive work from Schalke, being found brilliantly inside the box before producing another clever finish past Schubert. Apart from that, he managed a 92% passing accuracy, won seven duels and two tackles in a superb showing.

1. Erling Haaland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9jmS7i9FfA

It's almost a new Bundesliga season, with the same Erling Haaland. The teenage sensation hasn’t lost a single step in the two-month break and was at his menacing best once again. Haaland’s excellent movement behind defenders, link-up play caused chaos for Schalke. He successfully helped to break their shape with his incisive work, before netting the first goal in the Bundesliga after the break. Haaland perfectly got behind the defence before easily slotting into the net.

However, Haaland wasn’t done there as he helped create Hazard’s goal by dragging Schalke’s defenders too far forward. He also assisted Raphael Guerreiro’s second with a clever through-ball, round up another excellent performance which proves he might be the signing of the year in Europe.