Borussia Dortmund: Player ratings from tragic loss against RB Leipzig

Borussia Dortmund suffered their first loss of the season and their first home loss since April of 2015. Here are the player ratings for Peter Bosz’ side from the game.

Roman Bürki (6/10)

None of the goals were really Bürki’s fault, although maybe he could’ve done better to get to the ball for Leipzig’s first. He did have one remarkable save with his foot early in the first half to deny Jean-Kévin Augustin.

Dan-Axel Zagadou (6/10)

Zagadou had a solid game out of position at left-back. He didn’t get forward as much as he could’ve, and often opted for backwards passes, but had a couple of good offensive plays. While it was Aubameyang who earned a penalty in the second half, it was Zagadou’s pass that gave him the opportunity. Zagadou also had a gorgeous cross into the box, but nothing came from it.

Ömer Toprak (6/10)

Toprak is cementing his hold on a starting center-back position for Dortmund. We got to see the Barta-Toprak CB pairing finally, although it wasn’t under the conditions any of us wanted. He was probably BVB’s best defender, but that’s a pretty low bar.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos (3/10)

3/10 is a generous rating for Sokratis. He gave up a penalty at the very beginning of the second half that earned him a red card. To be clear, this is not the first time this season where Sokratis has been overly physical and made stupid decisions in the box. It’s the first time he got penalized for it, maybe, but Sokratis is lucky to have gotten this far into the season without giving up a penalty. He has not been a defensive stalwart for BVB this season (that’d be Bürki), and it’s time for that CB spot to go to Bartra.

Jeremy Toljan (3/10)

This was an exciting opportunity for Toljan to impress from his natural right-back position, but he failed to rise to the occasion. One could overlook his inability to challenge in the air that led to Leipzig’s first goal, but Bruma absolutely embarrassed him (twice) to create their second. He was rightly subbed off at halftime.

Nuri Sahin (5/10)

Sahin had an unremarkable game. He didn’t make much of an impact and was subbed off at halftime.

Gonzalo Castro (6/10)

It’s usually a bummer to see Castro on the teamsheet over Dahoud, but he definitely impressed today. He added some creativity and consistency (not something usually associated with Castro) to the midfield. It would be so big for BVB if he could put in a performance like this one week in week out, but he’s the most erratic player game to game.

Mario Götze (7/10)

Götze was one of Dortmund’s best players on the night. He made a lovely pass to give Aubameyang a chance in on goal, but Auba flubbed it. Generally, Götze looked fit and energetic, and is well on his way to finding form again after returning from a metabolic disorder. He looks better and better with each game he plays. It was great to see him play the full 90 minutes as well. Götze is quickly becoming a critical cog in Dortmund’s attack.

Maximilian Philipp (6/10)

Phillip was subbed off for Bartra after Sokrakratis got sent off, but didn’t do too much while he was on. He almost had a chance in the opening seconds of the match, and took a good shot after some confusion in the box, but disappeared for long stretches of the first half. We need to see a little more from him.

Andriy Yarmolenko (7/10)

Yarmolenko continues to impress. His gorgeous pass gave Aubameyang a one-on-one with the Leipzig keeper, although it came to nothing. Yarmo has surprisingly quick feet and showed off his foot skills with a number of dribbles and passes today. His purchase has proven to be a remarkable piece of summer business for BVB.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (8/10)

Aubameyang created both of Dortmund’s goals himself. He took advantage of poor Leipzig defense to put BVB ahead in the 4th minute, and won a penalty (that he himself converted) for Dortmund’s second. While that’s exactly what you want out of your front man, Yarmo and Götze gave him two more golden opportunities to score, and he wasn’t able to put them away. It’s great to see him back on the scoresheet, but it’s been a tough run of games for Auba. Hopefully, this performance will bring his confidence back up.

Substitutes

Julian Weigl (6/10)

It was Weigl’s uncharacteristic giveaway after being triple-teamed that led to Sokratis’ penalty give-away in the second half. He also had a lovely little run through the middle to create a chance for Dortmund, and a solid defensive header. Weigl is still a little rusty after coming back from injury, but he’s still one of BVB’s most important players.

Christian Pulisic (7/10)

It’s been a rough week for Puli. He and the USMNT fail to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday, and his return to Dortmund ends in a big loss. Regardless, he showed why he’s one of the most exciting young players in the world right now. He was energetic and determined, dancing past defenders with the ball and creating opportunities for BVB. It was a joy to watch him.

Marc Bartra (6/10)

Bartra came on for Phillip after Sokratis’ red card, but didn’t have to do too much defensively. Late in the game, though, he was pushing his team forward and making runs into the box himself. He’s becoming a leader for the team.

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