Marcel Sabitzer (7/10) - Recency bias saw Marcel make many important defensive actions that helped his team seal the win. His 10 defensive actions were only behind Can for most of the team, and his crucial pressure to force an error from Akpom late in the game stands out. Offensively, though, he was poor as none of his three crosses were accurate, and he added little in the final third.
Pascal Groß (8/10) - The 33-year-old from Mannheim ran the game from a Dortmund perspective in the first half. Groß pressed well into the final third to win the ball and almost had himself a goal. His shot was blocked before it would have reached the back of the net. His activity died down in the second half as he played deeper and drew himself a yellow card in minute 51. Subbed off in the 85th minute, Groß surely had some tired legs and a tired back after carrying the team through the first 45’.
Julian Brandt (4/10) - An improved performance compared to recent outings, but still below his old standards in Black-and-Yellow. His pressing ability still needs work after overcommitting a few times in the first half. He missed a few good passing opportunities but almost created a goal as a result of his header off the corner kick in minute 17. Brandt did nothing to really stand out, but he wasn't terrible either.