Each and every one of the ten field players in last Wednesday’s eleven in the Champions League semi-finals against Paris Saint Germain, presumed starters also in next Tuesday’s return, rested at the beginning this Saturday in the Borussia Dortmund, who beat Augsburg led by Marco Reus at full speed to consolidate fifth place and get closer to qualifying for the Champions League.
A devastating victory, declared 4-1 after half an hour, with a goal and an assist from Reus (he later added another in Nmecha’s 5-1), while Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen, Jadon Sancho, Sabitzer, On the bench, Brandt, Emre Can, Adeyemi and Füllkrug witnessed an incontestable victory for their teammates, among the massive rotations of Edin Terzic. The only one who repeated was goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
In the turmoil of his eleven, due to rest for the first leg and second leg of the Champions League, Kjell Watjen debuted in the midfield, at 18 years old, and Mateu Morey played his second game of the current season. The last presence of the Spanish defender in the starting eleven of the Borussia Dortmund first team dated back to April 2021. Two different teams for two wins.
Because Dortmund’s victory against Augsburg was incontestable. From the first minute to the last. There was never any doubt. From the first occasion, when Moukoko scored the 1-0 almost under the line after the gift of the opposing defense (m. 4), until the final whistle, although everything was resolved much earlier, with an evident superiority of the locals.
On the field, despite the changes, despite the rest of several of their great references, there were players of unquestionable potential. Not only Moukoko, but also Malen, their best scorer of the season, damaged by injuries in the last month. His was the 2-0 in the 20th minute, when he finished off a perfect cross from Byone-Gittens, fast, agile, overflowing and another of the youngsters who are aiming very high at 19 years old. His fifth assist.
Marco Reus was also a starter, who has already announced his departure from Signal Iduna Park at the end of the season. This Saturday he played his 425th game with Dortmund, with 169 goals and 104 assists, after this Saturday. His was the corner that Moukoko inadvertently took at 3-0 (m. 30) and his was the 4-0 in the 35th minute, when he took advantage of Felix Nmecha’s pass and the highway that his rival gave him to score the ball before Koubek.
In between, Vargas had scored 3-1. An anecdote between the match that Dortmund dominated, which could even go further on the scoreboard before the break. The second half, a formality, left a magnificent save by Kobel, a much lower pace, and a new goal assist from Reus for Nmecha’s 5-1, already after the hour mark.
The applause was thunderous when Reus left the field, replaced by Julian Brandt. He turned towards the entire stadium, applauded the support of his fans, received a hug from Terzic, thanked his teammates for their congratulations and sat on the bench with a passing accuracy of 95 percent, one goal and two assists..