Player Ratings from Dortmund’s 2-2 draw with Freiburg

Here is how Borussia Dortmund’s players rated in their draw against Freiburg:

Burki – 5

Freiburg had three shots all game and two of them went in. This says it all about his performance. The third could’ve gone in had Burki not made a recovery from his blunder.

Piszcek – 7

Another solid performance by the captain. Completed 76% of his passes, won his aerial duels with ease and nearly scored with a header that was well saved.

Sokratis – 6

Put in a decent shift and managed over 101 passes. He was rarely troubled all game as Freiburg displayed little attacking threat.

Toprak – 7

Toprak has become such an instrumental part of Dortmund’s build-up play, unfortunately, his contribution is underrated. He displayed his ability to pick out his teammate’s with precision all game. With Dortmund’s opponents intent on allowing them to maintain possession, Toprak’s range of passing and accuracy is a huge asset to the team. ended the game with a 96% pass accuracy.

Toljan – 7

The young full-back yet again displayed his energy and work rate which will allow Stoeger to rely on him going forward. His partnership with Sancho which has seen the pair combine and create chances in the last 3 games has also been a positive point for the boss, who is now under immense pressure to deliver Dortmund’s first win of 2018. Grabbed the last minute equalizer brilliantly, highlighting his solid contribution to the team.

Sahin – 6

Replaced Julian Weigl in the all-important deep-lying playmaking role where he was unfortunate to not make an impact on the game. Most passes ended up going sideways or backwards and for this reason, Dortmund were unable to penetrate through Freiburg’s dense defensive structure. Gave the ball away before Petersen scored Freiburg’s second goal.

Castro – 6

Castro’s performance exemplified Dortmund’s struggles. Carried out his tasks in a professional manner but failed to threaten the away side’s defence in any way. He was taken off at half-time and replaced with Gotze who offered much more in midfield.

Pulisic – 6

Played in a determined manner as usual but it wasn’t enough to influence the result of the game. Got replaced by Yarmolenko with just over 25 minutes of the game left to play.

Aubameyang – 6

Aubameyang’s return to the starting line-up was a cause for optimism prior to kick-off. By the end of the game, not only did he have a poor game but he left everyone wondering where his focus lies and if he still committed to the club. In his defence, he wasn’t presented with many goalscoring chances by his teammates but he didn’t get involved in play either. Disappointing game.

Sancho – 7

Put in yet another exciting display. The only criticism of his performance was the fact that he didn’t create many opportunities for Aubameyang as was needed. Despite that, he took players on with ease and finesse and linked up well with Toljan in possession.

Subs:

Isak – 6

Came on for Sahin but had no impact on the game.

Yarmolenko – 6

Replaced Pulisic and put in the cross that resulted in Toljan’s equalizer.

Gotze – 7

Replaced Castro at halftime and provided the spark that Dortmund needed to create chances. His passing was sharp and incisive and he made several tackles too. The team will need Gotze to remain consistent as he might end up being the key to their success by the end of the season.

Man of the Match:

Shinji Kagawa – 8

In a season where Dortmund’s players have been involved in disciplinary issues, faced time on the sidelines with injury or have just played poorly, one man has remained committed and consistent throughout. Saturday’s game was no different. He opened the scoring with a delightful acrobatic finish and played the rest of the game with verve and focus. As a result, he wins this week’s Man of the Match award.