Paco Alcacer came off the bench to score a hat-trick and help Borussia Dortmund beat FC Augsburg 4-3 in an absolute thriller.
Borussia Dortmund fell behind in the first half, before Paco Alcacer leveled things up at the hour mark. But Augsburg took the lead once again nine minutes later, before the Spaniard made it 2-2. Mario Gotze gave Dortmund the lead in the 84th minute, but Augsburg got themselves level thanks to Michael Gregoritsch’s header just three minutes later. But Paco Alcacer got the final word as he scored a last minute winner from a sumptuous free kick to seal a dramatic win for the Black and Yellows.
Here are the Borussia Dortmund player ratings from the game.
Roman Burki (6/10)
Probably should have done better for the first goal but did not stand a chance for Augsburg’s second and third. He made some good saves once again to keep Borussia Dortmund in the game, especially in the first half.
Achraf Hakimi (5/10)
Hakimi was once again a big threat going forward. Linked up well with Sancho and came close to scoring from outside the box. He got the assist for Gotze’s goal with an accurate through ball. Defensively, he did not look as comfortable and had a few avoidable turnovers in possession.
Manuel Akanji (5/10)
After his dominant performances in the last few games, Akanji did not have the best of games against Augsburg. He often left too much space for Finnbogason and failed to read his runs. Was lucky that the Iceland international only hit the bar when he lost him in the 63rd minute.
Dan Axel Zagadou (6/10)
Was lucky the referee did not give a penalty when he brought Gregoritsch down in the box in the first half. He was then at fault for Augsburg’s opener as he failed to create the ball from a free kick. He did improve as the game went on and made a total of eight clearances, showing his great physique and composure.
Abdou Diallo (4/10)
Diallo did not have the best of games and looked uncomfortable at left back. He struggled to cope with Augsburg’s pace and failed to prevent crosses from going into the box. The Frenchman was partly at fault for Augsburg’s second goal and failed to mark Michael Gregoritsch for their third goal. Diallo did not provide much of a threat going forward either.
Axel Witsel (7/10)
Once again, the Belgian international bossed the midfield for Borussia Dortmund. His distribution and build up play was top class and he looked to get forward more often than usual. Witsel’s ability to turn defense into attack in the blink of an eye proved to be crucial in what was a very open second half. Also got the pre-assist for Dortmund’s first goal with a fine through ball for for Jadon Sancho.
Julian Weigl (5/10)
While Weigl impressed after coming off the bench on Wednesday, he failed to have a similar impact today. Both him and Witsel often took similar positions and failed to provide any creativity in the first half. Weigl was clearly struggling from a lack of match rhythm and as a result he struggled to cope with Augsburg’s energy and pressing at times. Was replaced by Mario Gotze in the second half.
Jadon Sancho (7/10)
Sancho was once again Dortmund’s biggest threat down the right wing. His interplay with Reus and Hakimi was superb and he always looked to run at defenders and create chances for his teammates. He got his assist for Alcacer’s first goal with a lovely low cross.
Marco Reus (5/10)
It was a frustrating game for the Borussia Dortmund as he struggled to make his mark on proceedings. He missed a few good chances and his linkup play was not as effective either. The German’s frustrations were clear and he was also given a yellow card for dissent. It was not Reus’ day but he will be relieved that the team won the three points anyways.
Jacob Bruun Larsen (5/10)
Things did not work out for him as he would have liked but the Dane still showed great intent going forward. Most of Dortmund’s attacking play came from their right, making it hard for him to have the desired impact on the game.
Maximilian Philipp (4/10)
Philipp was given the nod to start upfront but once again, things did not seem to work out for him. He got close to scoring with a fine effort from outside the box, but the goalkeeper made a decent save to deny him. After he was replaced by Paco Alcacer, Dortmund looked like a different team and the Spaniard scored a hattrick to win his side the three points.
Substitutes
Paco Alcacer (10/10)
What an impact it was by Paco Alcacer! The Spaniard scored a hattrick to single-handedly help Borussia Dortmund win three priceless points. All three of Alcacer’s goals were fantastic finishes and his last minute winner from a free kick will likely be Dortmund’s goal of the season. His impact was sensational once again and the BVB bosses will already be tempted to pay Barcelona the 23 million euros to make his move permanent.
Raphael Guerreiro (7/10)
Did a decent job after coming on in place of Jacob Bruun Larsen. His chipped assist for Alcacer’s second was a great piece of play. Lets hope he gets more chances following the international break.
Mario Gotze (7/10)
Showed great intent after coming on and always looked to get forward whenever he got the ball. He must have thought that he had won the three points for his side, only for Augsburg to equalise minutes later. Still an impressive return to the team for Mario Gotze after a difficult two months.