Borussia Dortmund vs. SC Freiburg: Winners and Losers from Bundesliga Game
Borussia Dortmund continued their return to form on Saturday with a resounding 3-1 win over lowly Freiburg at the Westfalenstadion.
Although many foresaw a tricky game for Jurgen Klopp's side, following a week of injury scares and a Champions League game against Arsenal on the horizon, the former Bundesliga champions took to the task of overcoming their opponents with relative ease.
It was a match that welcomed faces old and new to the Dortmund line-up, as Klopp scrambled together a starting XI, with a number of players in his squad deemed unfit following another strenuous international week of football.
Yet, the result was almost certain from kick off, giving the black and yellows the perfect platform to build upon as they push on in their domestic and European campaigns.
Here are the winners and losers from Saturday's match.
Winner: Adrian Ramos
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Adrian Ramos once again got his name on the scoresheet to cap off another stellar performance for Klopp's side as their sole striker.
Leading the line with his strength in the air and technique on the ground, Ramos proved once again to his new coach and team that he may well be the best option in the striker department for the season ahead.
Of course, Dortmund do have other signing in Ciro Immobile in reserve, but as things stand, it looks as though the young Italian forward may have to wait his turn as the Colombian goalscorer continues scoring.
Loser: Freiburg's Form
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In truth, a game against Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion was never one that Freiburg could have really hoped to take much from.
Yet for Christian Streich, Saturday's defeat leaves his limited side with just one point from their opening three games and little to be optimistic about. A tough relegation battle now looks certain for this club.
The Black Forest side welcome an inconsistent Hertha Berlin next week before tricky games against Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen.
Winner: Shinji Kagawa
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As if written in the stars by the footballing gods themselves, it seemed only right that Shinji Kagawa would return to Dortmund and pick up where he left off.
Rushed back into the side following the unfortunate injuries to Marco Reus and Jakub Blaszczykowski, the Japan international wasted little time settling back in at the club that made him a world star.
As if to repay the confidence shown in him by Klopp, Kagawa kicked off his second term at the club with a wonderful goal. A complete return for this favoured player.
Loser: Dortmund's Defence
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Although it almost seemed possible with just moments left to play, Dortmund were unable to keep a clean sheet for the fourth game in succession—Oliver Sorg's lackadaisical shot rolling into Roman Weidenfeller's net in the 90th minute.
In fact, the last time Klopp's side were able to completely shut out an opponent was against Bayern Munich in the pre-season Super Cup. Since then, they have been unable to manage the feat against lesser opponents.
Although just a minor caveat to an impressive victory, Klopp will undoubtedly worry about such a pattern arising. Dortmund simply can't seem to defend at the moment.
Winner: Dortmund's Champions League Preparations
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Although winning an important Bundesliga match on Saturday was always the priority for Klopp and his side, the coach will undoubtedly have had the coming Champions League clash with Arsenal on his mind throughout the game.
As such, we saw the squad take certain precautions with the tricky home tie in mind.
Kagawa was able to exert his dominance over the match for a strong 60 minutes before cramp got the better of him, while players such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ciro Immobile and Sven Bender—who have all struggled with some form of injury or fitness problems this week—came on to pick up vital match experience and regain their sharpness.
Although many may still be deemed too unfit to start against their English opponents on Tuesday, Klopp will be proud of their progress.
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