Saturday evening saw one of the most compelling derbies in European football end in an enthralling fashion as Borussia Dortmund drew 4:4 with arch nemesis FC Schalke at the Signal Iduna Park.
It was a game of two halves, as Dortmund, leading the game in halftime, somehow managed to concede four goals in the second half as the game ended in a stalemate. The amazing performance from the Schalke team, to recover the 4:0 deficit halftime will certainly boost the confidence of their team while misery awaits for Peter Bosz and his team as they manage another week without a win.
Here are the Dortmund players rated in their disappointing draw with Schalke in the Revierderby.
Roman Weidenfeller (7.5/10): Deputized for injured number one keeper Roman Burki and actually did quite well, by pulling a couple of truly sensational saves. However, the veteran goalkeeper failed to keep out Schalke most of the time.
Sokratis (7.5/10): Played well for the most part of the game, especially in the first half, where he was a complete rock. Did actually perform decently in the second half as well, leading the team out from the back.
Omer Toprak (7/10): Looked very very rusty in the centre of the defence. The former Leverkusen defender was quite uncertain at times and overall struggled to deal with the dangerous Schalke attack.
Marcel Schmelzer (7.5/10): Was quite alright as the Dortmund captain played a rather decent game in defence. Schmelzer made a few important interceptions but always lacked defensive support in order to successfully defend their lead.
Christian Pulisic (7.5/10): Started from the right wingback position, where he got isolated at times. Although, the American did show some glimpses of his brilliant at times.
Julian Weigl (7/10): His rough patch continues as the former 1860 midfielder once again fails to dominate the midfield, largely due to the tight marking from the opposing midfielders. Weigl was hardly given any space to work his magic in the centre of the park.
Nuri Sahin (7.5/10): Perhaps the most active player on the field, Sahin did a good job of pulling the strings from the middle, especially when partnering midfielder Weigl got completely isolated by the Schalke players.
Raphael Guerreiro (8.5/10): Had an amazing outing as the Portuguese International showed why he’s one of the most talented players in the Dortmund squad. His superb volley was the highlight of Dortmund’s performance in the first half.
Mario Gotze (7.5/10): Played some sloppy passes in the final and was guilty of losing concentration on occasions but at the same time, Gotze’s link up play with other attacker was just eccentric to watch.
Andriy Yarmolenko (7/10): Didn’t do a whole lot to scare off the opposition defence. The Ukrainian International needs to be much more direct in his approach in the final third.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (8/10): Played very well in the first half, where he was a complete terror to the opposition defence. The Gabonese’s opening goal and an assist were vital to Dortmund’s onslaught in the first half. Although, he did get sent off later in the game, for a rash tackle.
Substitutes
Marc Bartra (7/10): Failed to provide defensive solidity after coming on for Mario Gotze in the 67th minute. Although he did remain quite committed and focused.
Gonzalo Castro (7/10): Made an awful tackle on Amine Harit just after coming on for Andriy Yarmolenko in the 78th minute. Couldn’t add anything to Dortmund’s attacking firepower.
Dan-Axel Zagadou (NA): Possibly the worst substitution Dortmund have made this season. Zagadou’s introduction in the 82nd minute was the reason the home side gave away two goals, which eventually helped Schalke complete their epic comeback. Zagadou completely lost his market twice and always lacked the focus to see out his side’s two-goal advantage after coming on.