Julian Brandt: Borussia Dortmund's creative genius is back
Julian Brandt, who wasn't included in the starting XI from the go by Niko Kovač against Mainz, was thrown into the mix at the last minute in place of Serhou Guirassy, and he was on fire from minute one.
The last-minute withdrawal of the prolific Guirassy for the clash at the MEWA Arena, a ground where Borussia Dortmund had lost on their last two visits, was an early cause for concern ahead of their Matchday 5 kick-off.
Brandt took it upon himself to put those concerns at ease, sliding the ball across the penalty area for Daniel Svensson's first half opener and for his first assist of the season too.
He was at the centre of the action again not long after, combining with Karim Adeyemi on a lethal counter-attack that saw him grab his second assist of the afternoon, and Adeyemi his second league goal of the season.
"It's not often that you prepare yourself to go on the bench and then end up playing. I found out shortly before the game," said Brandt on the preparation for his Mainz masterclass. "Serhou also felt it quite early on, so I was able to warm up. But it's always different when you know you're going to start. I'm glad Serhou didn't go into the game injured".
He then almost got on the scoresheet himself late on in injury time of the second half, only to be denied by the 05ers' Lasse Rieß, who had replaced the dismissed Robin Zentner. That late effort was one of three that Brandt took during the game, the most of any Dortmund player, and he was also involved in five of his side's nine shots altogether - another team-high.
Subduing Bo Henriksen's Mainz side takes more than just attacking guile, however, and Brandt also played his part off the ball by covering 11.4 kilometres and recording 23 sprints during the game.
The BVB midfielder's inspired performance led to his side extending their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to 13 games including the end of last season, and meant that Niko Kovač's men made it four league wins in a row.
Next up domestically for the Black Yellows - after Wednesday's UEFA Champions League clash with Athletic Bilbao - is an RB Leipzig side who have also won their last four Bundesliga games, setting up what could be Brandt & Co.'s toughest test yet of 2025/26.
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