Borussia Dortmund returned from their preseason tour of Japan at the weekend after securing a narrow 1-0 win over FC Tokyo on Sunday.
It eased some of the pressure that had built following their 1-0 loss to Cerezo Osaka a few days prior as Niko Kovac's side returned to winning ways after three games.
The tour was marked more tactical experiments from the Croatian, who welcomed back many of his first-team stars for the first time since the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As the club now gears up for their next match this weekend, let's delve through the winners and losers from the BVB Evonik Japan Tour:
Winner: Fabio Silva
Let's start with the obvious. Fabio Silva was Dortmund's lone scorer across two games in Japan, netting a 54th-minute winner against FC Tokyo in their second match on Sunday by whipping a powerful strike from range.
For someone who didn't score many goals last season and failed to justify his hefty price tag, it would do him a world of good, boosting his confidence too. But the match-winning heroics may not instantly see Silva usurp Serhou Guirassy as their first-choice striker as head coach Niko Kovac would love to see some consistency in his game first.
Loser: Carney Chukwuemeka
For someone who had been having a fabuous year personally, injuries reared its ugly head on Carney Chukwuemeka again. The Austrian was just making his first appearance for the BVB on Sunday but went off after just 23 minutes into the kick-off with a knock.
Although no reports so far have suggested that it's serious, the real extent of his injury also remains uncertain as Chukwuemeka faces a race against time to get fit for the trip to London this weekend.
Loser: Takato Yamamoto
The 18-year-old teenage sensation was back in Japan just days after joining Borussia Dortmund from Gamba Osaka and everyone expected him to prove his mettle in what was familiar surroundings for him.
Instead, the Japanese international failed to pull up any tree and drew a blank in both games despite starting each time. Moreover against Cerezo Osaka, city rivals of his former club Gamba Osaka, the youngster was greeted with massive boos and jeers from the home crowd.
Winner: Yan Couto
Surprisingly, Yan Couto had a terrific Japan tour, especially in the second game where the Brazilian came to life with his energetic display on the flanks that gave Dortmund an extra-edge in the attack.
Just days later, Couto's move to Como was also finalized. Having played second-fiddle to Julian Ryerson last season, he was keen to leave and back-to-back strong performances in Asia may have helped his cause here.
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