Borussia Dortmund started their Bundesliga Ruckrunde campaign in a disappointing fashion as they were held at home by a disciplined Wolfsburg.
The draw allows Bayern to extend their lead to 13 points at the top of the table, while Dortmund loses their third spot in the table.
It was a night full of missed opportunities, as Dortmund, despite creating a considerable amount of chances failed to provide the final product. Wolfsburg, on the other hand, have also had their fair share of defensive mishaps but got saved at the end due to some awful finishing from the Dortmund attackers.
Here are the Dortmund players rated in their disappointing draw with the Wolves.
Roman Burki (9.5/10): By far the best Dortmund player on the night, the Swiss International kept his side in the game with some world-class saves. Totally deserved his clean sheet.
Lukasz Piszczek (8.5/10): Looked solid after returning to action following a long injury spell. The Polish International showed exactly what Dortmund was missing in the fullback position.
Sokratis (8.5/10): Although solid for the most period of the game, one would expect better output from the Greek International in terms of passing forward. However, he did look revitalized at times which ultimately helped pile on the pressure on the opposing defence.
Omer Toprak (7.5/10): Was dogged defensively throughout the game and did his best keep Wolfsburg at bay.
Jeremy Toljan (7/10): Wasn’t as good as his Polish counterpart on the other flank. The former Hoffenheim youngster definitely needs to improve his game, if he is to establish himself as a first-team regular for Dortmund.
Julian Weigl (7/10): Not as effective as he should have been as he struggled under the tight marking from the Wolfsburg midfielders.
Shinji Kagawa (7.5/10): Was a key figure in the attacking department, who did succeed to create some good chances throughout the game. However, BVB definitely needs better performances from the Japanese International.
Mario Gotze (8/10): Very instrumental in BVB’s ball circulation and creativity in the final third, Gotze is looking significantly better compared to his previous self. His neat little through balls always caused trouble for the opposition.
Andriy Yarmolenko (6/10): Was heavily criticized by the BVB fans and deservedly so as the Ukrainian missed about three golden opportunities to put his side into the lead. He was easily the worst player of the night.
Alexander Isak (6.5/10): Another Dortmund player who struggled to make an impact. Very ineffective throughout the game, Dortmund looked considerably weaker with Isak leading the charge instead of Aubameyang.
Jadon Sancho (8/10): Even though he missed a great opportunity to score to the opener in the second half, Sancho was pretty impressive throughout the game, especially in the second half. His dynamic movements often proved to be a scourge for defenders. He definitely deserves another chance in the coming games.
Substitutes
Mahmoud Dahoud (7/10): Failed to provide much in terms of attacking endeavour as the former Gladbach midfielder got largely outnumbered by the Wolfsburg players in the final third.
Andre Schurrle (7/10): Also struggled to make an impact despite getting a rather motivational pep-talk on the sidelines. The German world cup winner was ineffective and to an extent, awful in their attacking game. However, he was definitely an upgrade over Alexander Isak.
Nuri Sahin (NA): His introduction later in the game provided more stability in the Dortmund midfield.
