Thomas Tuchel’s Borussia Dortmund were once again held away from home, this against unbeaten Hoffenheim side. The defence looked terrible, prior to the game, and it showed as Weidenfeller’s howler early on in the game handed Hoffenheim the lead, Mark Uth being the beneficiary. Dortmund, however, managed to equalise. Dembele found Götze, who’s beautifully driven low shot, found the back of the net. But then, Sandro Wagner pounced from a corner to make it 2:1 for the home side before Aubameyang made it level with a neat finish early on in the second half. Here are the player ratings for Borussia Dortmund, as they fail to snatch victory at the Rhein Neckar Arena.
Roman Weidenfeller (6.5/10): An awful night for the Dortmund veteran goalkeeper. Deputising the injured Roman Bürki, Weidenfeller’s mistake cost Dortmund, the Mark Uth opener, while he also could have done a lot better to keep out Sandro Wagner from scoring the second goal for Hoffenheim.
Sven Bender (7/10): Featured after a long injury layoff. The German failed to offer stability in the defence. Managing only one tackle and one interception in 90 mins. His two blocked shots, however, were crucial.
Matthias Ginter (7/10): Was vital in buildup from the back. But only managed 44 passes throughout the game. Mostly found himself looking for that killer pass but failed to provide so.
Marc Bartra (7/10): The Spanish international is still acclimatising to the German football. His poor positioning and often slow run-ups won’t do him any good. He was, however, very aggressive in pressing situations in the middle.
Christian Pulisic (7.5/10): It was a real test for Christian Pulisic, who was given a rather defensive role as he started in as a fullback. Often being left by teammates with a prayer to do something with the ball on his own, Pulisic also closed down the passing lanes of Hoffenheim and showed some good understanding of the game.
Julian Weigl (7.5/10): As always, Julian Weigl sat as the hub of the midfield. An imposing figure on the middle, Weigl’s distribution was put to test by Hoffenheim. Poised to sign a new contract, which will keep him at the club till 2021, Weigl showed why it would be a good news for Dortmund faithful.
Marcel Schmelzer (7.5/10): Deployed as the wing back on the night. Schmelzer was at the end of two good opportunities in the first half. He made some vital interventions and tackles to keep out hosts’ momentum in the second half.
Mario Götze (7.5/10): The German International scored his first goal for Dortmund since coming back to the club this summer, capitalising on a great through ball by Ousmane Dembele, to strike home a neat driven shot low down the corner. Also played a supporting role alongside Weigl in the middle.
Ousmane Dembele (8.5/10): Without a doubt, Dembele was the best player on the night. The 19-year old weaved his magic throughout the game, teeing up Mario Götze for the first goal. Unfortunately, he was taken off with a stretcher in 69th minute.
Marco Reus (7.5/10): An eventful night for the German International. Reus was one of the best players in the first half, having a pass accuracy of 92% and creating two chances. However, the 27-year old received his first red card in the Bundesliga when he held off Nadiem Amiri to stop a counter attack. It changed the complexion of the game as the officials could have done a lot better.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (7/10): Did not prove to be handful for the opposition but showed his real quality with a stunning finish to score his landmark 100th goal for Borussia Dortmund in all competitions. Only five players achieved this feat beforehand.
