Borussia Dortmund
Roman Buerki – 6: The Swiss goalkeeper had a quiet day at the office. No major faults in his game, but also little to commend him for.
Lukasz Piszczek – 7: Piszczek finally got to start a match again and repaid the faith with a decent performance. The Pole showed a great work rate, closed down all runs on his side of the pitch and generally displayed intelligent football.
Sven Bender – 7.5: Makeshift centre-half Bender got the spot in the starting XI over skipper Hummels and did not make the coach rue the decision. Bender is best known for his hard, fearless work and gutsy challenges – he excelled at it again on Sunday. The defensive line looked impenetrable for most of the 90 minutes.
Sokratis – 7: As reliable as usual, gelled well with Bender in the centre of defence. Was booked for an unnecessary foul. Remains Dortmund’s best centre-half for the moment.
Marcel Schmelzer – 6: The German had an okay day but when measured against his best performances, there is room to improve.
Ilkay Guendogan – 7.5: Guendogan did for 90 minutes what he does best: orchestrate the game, execute Tuchel’s match plan. Took the edge off the game or sped it up at will. Played intelligent passes. Another strong performance.
Gonzalo Castro – 9: The Germany-born-Spaniard had a stellar night and that is still true if you take his goal out of the equation. Wooed Tuchel with skilful and incisive passes and found the right balance between stern, goal-oriented football and playful trickery. Notched up another assist aside from his goal in the second minute.
Shinji Kagawa – 5: Kagawa has proven many times that he can do much better. Tenuous display against Stuttgart (on a new position in holding midfield). Could be the one to make way for Castro next week if Julian Weigl returns to the starting XI.
Marco Reus – 6: After copping another (short-term) injury, Reus will know he can shift his play up a gear or two. Would have scored one if not for the assistant ruling it offside. Lacked a little bit of edge and determination in his actions.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 8: One of the best players on the pitch next to Castro and Aubameyang. Mkhitaryan has become simply indispensable: Fast runs, deft dribbling and an ever-increasing willingness to shoot from any range. Stuttgart did not find a way to tame him.
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang – 8.5: The pacey striker scored his 16th and 17th Bundesliga goals. Is there an end of his scoring spree in sight? Probably not. Both the first goal (a neat chip) and the second (dribbling and far post finish) were beautifully executed.
Substitutes
Mats Hummels – 5: Did not get a lot of time to redeem himself after the rough patch he has been through. Moved with purpose, determined in what he tried.
Julian Weigl – 6: The game’s fluidity improved when Weigl was brought on, and that was no coincidence. Did a good job demanding and dispensing the ball in the central midfield.
Adrian Ramos – N/A: Came on for the last two minutes.
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