Heidenheim 0 - 2 Borussia Dortmund Player Ratings: Serhou Guirassy rated 8/10 as Clinical First Half Display Secures Comfortable Win for Visitors

A ruthless first-half display saw Borussia Dortmund cruise to a 2-0 victory over a ten-man Heidenheim in the Bundesliga. The match was fundamentally altered by a moment of madness. From our perspective, the game was over as a contest in the 21st minute.

Budu Zivzivadze received a straight red card, a decision that baffled and ultimately doomed the home side. Dortmund, smelling blood, didn't need a second invitation to take control. They professionally and methodically dismantled their opponents, with their numerical advantage telling almost immediately.

The breakthrough came from Serhou Guirassy, who headed home, and the game was effectively sealed just before the halftime whistle by Maximilian Beier. The second half was a mere formality, a training ground exercise in possession for the visitors. Despite the scoreline, what stood out to us was the heroic performance of Heidenheim’s keeper, Diant Ramaj, who prevented a complete annihilation with a string of incredible saves. Here are the Heidenheim vs Borussia Dortmund player ratings:

Borussia Dortmund Player Ratings vs Heidenheim

Here are the Borussia Dortmund player ratings:

Goalkeeper

Gregor Kobel - 6.5: Had one of the quietest afternoons of his career. He was called upon to make one save all game. Remained alert and distributed the ball well. The red card meant he was largely a spectator for over 70 minutes.

Defenders

Waldemar Anton - 8.0: A colossal performance at the back. He was a passing machine, completing 129 passes with 97% accuracy. He was dominant in his duels and made several crucial clearances. From our perspective, he looked completely unflappable and controlled the backline with ease.

Ramy Bensebaini - 7.5: A very busy and effective performance. He had an incredible 136 touches, showing his constant involvement. Defensively sound, although one minor error did lead to a shot. He contributed to the attack and kept possession smartly, a really solid all-round display.

Julian Ryerson - 7.5: Provided a fantastic assist for the opening goal. His work rate was immense, recovering the ball 10 times. He was a constant outlet on the flank before being subbed. The yellow card was the only slight negative on an otherwise excellent contribution.

Midfielders

Yan Couto - 7.5: An absolute livewire. We noticed he was always trying to make something happen, creating three chances for his teammates. He had 93 touches and was a constant threat with his crossing. A little more composure in the final third and he would have been even more devastating.

Felix Nmecha - 7.0: The engine room of the midfield. He was strong in the challenge, winning 7 of his 9 duels. Kept the ball moving with intelligence and created two chances. It wasn't a flashy performance, but it was incredibly effective at controlling the game.

Pascal Groß - 6.5: Dictated play with his usual calmness and precision. His 92% pass accuracy shows how reliable he was in possession. He didn't need to overexert himself and was withdrawn after 66 minutes with the job done. A professional performance.

Daniel Svensson - 7.5: What stood out to us was his creativity. He created three chances, including one big chance, and was a key link between midfield and attack. He barely gave the ball away and showed great vision. A very impressive and mature display.

Forwards

Serhou Guirassy - 8.0: The perfect striker's performance. He was in the right place at the right time to head home the opener. He was a menace throughout, landing five shots on target. A clinical and decisive display, although the late yellow card was unnecessary.

Maximilian Beier - 7.5: Took his goal with fantastic composure just before the break, a killer blow to Heidenheim. He worked hard for the team and his finish was top class. He was a bit quiet otherwise but his goal was crucial.

Karim Adeyemi - 8.0: Pure chaos and excitement. His assist for the second goal was perfectly timed. He terrified defenders with his dribbling, completing 4 successful runs. His shooting was a bit wayward and the booking was silly, but his energy and directness were key to Dortmund's dominance.

Substitutes

Carney Chukwuemeka, Jobe Bellingham, Cole Campbell, Salih Özcan: The substitutes came on when the game was already won. They helped maintain control and saw out the result professionally without needing to make a significant impact.

Manager

N. Kovač - 8.0: His plan worked to perfection. His team was set up to press and they punished Heidenheim's mistake ruthlessly. The two first-half goals showed a clinical edge that killed the game. He managed the rest of the match perfectly, making smart changes to rest key players. A faultless away day.

Heidenheim Player Ratings vs Borussia Dortmund

Here are the Heidenheim player ratings:

Goalkeeper

Diant Ramaj - 8.5: The Man of the Match, despite being on the losing side. An absolutely breathtaking performance. He made six saves, several of which were simply world-class. Without him, this could have been a historic defeat. A truly heroic effort that kept the scoreline respectable.

Defenders

Benedikt Gimber - 5.0: A torrid 45 minutes for the defender. He was booked and looked completely out of his depth against Dortmund's attack. We weren't surprised to see him substituted at halftime. A day he will want to forget quickly.

Patrick Mainka - 6.5: Fought a lone battle at the back. He made a staggering 8 clearances and 6 interceptions, throwing himself in front of everything. It was a thankless task after the red card, but he led by example with his effort and commitment.

Omar Traoré - 5.5: He was chasing shadows for most of the game. He lost possession 12 times and struggled to cope with the movement of Dortmund's forwards. It was a really difficult assignment for him, and he was largely ineffective.

Leart Paçarada - N/A: His game was cruelly cut short by an injury after just seven minutes. Impossible to give a rating.

Midfielders

Jan Schöppner - 6.0: He worked tirelessly in a losing cause. Made 5 interceptions and got stuck in with tackles. However, he was overrun in midfield and his use of the ball was poor, completing just 57% of his passes. All effort, but little quality.

Mathias Honsak - 6.0: One of the few who tried to take the fight to Dortmund. He won 7 duels and attempted a few dribbles. But his efforts often led to nothing, and he lost the ball far too often. A frustrating afternoon for him.

Luca Kerber - 5.5: The game completely passed him by. He was caught in possession and made an error leading to a shot. He looked off the pace and couldn't impose himself on the match at all. A really anonymous performance.

Adrian Beck - 5.0: Did absolutely nothing in his 45 minutes on the pitch. He was a passenger and offered no support defensively or offensively. His substitution at halftime was inevitable.

Arijon Ibrahimovic - 6.5: A small flicker of light in the darkness for Heidenheim. He created two chances and wasn't afraid to take players on. He at least tried to make something happen against impossible odds. A decent showing in the circumstances.

Forwards

Budu Zivzivadze - 1.0: A catastrophic performance. His straight red card in the 21st minute for a reckless foul completely destroyed his team's game plan. It was an act of pure stupidity that left his teammates with a mountain to climb. He cost his team any chance of getting a result.

Substitutes

Jonas Föhrenbach, Marnon Busch, Sirlord Conteh: They were brought on to do a damage limitation job. They ran hard and tried to keep the shape, but the game was long gone. They couldn't influence the result.

Manager

F. Schmidt - 5.0: What could he do? His entire strategy was thrown into the bin after 21 minutes. From our perspective, his hands were tied by Zivzivadze's unprofessionalism. He made changes to ensure his team didn't collapse completely. An impossible situation for any manager.

Sportsdunia's player of the match is Diant Ramaj.