The great testimonial to Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga season

Published on every match day of the Bundesliga SPOX Scores, individual reviews, winners and losers for the games of FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. We calculated the average grades of BVB, who just missed out on the German championship. Here comes the season report of all players in the squad including some data from the provider Opta via FBref.

BVB: The season at a glance

BVB: goalkeeper

Gregory Kobel: Almost nothing works in Dortmund without him. The Swiss was once again one of the top performers and saved BVB a point or two, especially in the first half of the season, but also in the season finale. Otherwise there would probably not have been an exciting championship fight. Bitter that he of all people made a mistake in the important away game in Munich and was thus partly to blame for the defeat. Average grade: 2.87.

Alexander Meyer: Had to represent Kobel in seven games and did a good job as far as possible. Showed that he can live up to his role as backup goalkeeper in the short term. If Kobel was out for a longer period of time, it would be difficult to compensate for his quality anyway. Average grade: 3.36.

Marcel Lotka and Luca Unbehaun: Both without action.

BVB: Average scores of goalkeepers in the Bundesliga

BVB: Defense

Nico Schlotterbeck: In the meantime, he was Borussia’s strongest central defender and was particularly good for the build-up game. Nevertheless, his season was repeatedly accompanied by blunders and negligence. Average grade: 3.4.

Niklas Sule: After a bumpy start to the season, the new signing from FC Bayern got going. But he also had moments when he was inattentive and thus caused goals or great chances for the opponent. Average grade: 3.44.

Mats Hummels: Didn’t have a good first half of the season, but was one of the guarantors for BVB’s strong phase, especially in the second half. Although his best days are behind him, he has been Borussia’s most consistent and stable defender. Average grade: 3.3.

Marius Wolf: In the first half of the season he delighted the BVB fans with his tireless offensive runs. In the second half of the season, however, Wolf no longer played such a big role. Defensively, the 28-year-old was simply too vulnerable. Average grade: 3.3.

Thomas Meunier: Not the year of the Belgian. Missed long stretches injured and only made ten appearances (eight evaluated). Average grade: 4.25.

Raphael Guerreiro: After a disastrous first half of the season, in which many fans would have liked to chase him off the court, the Portuguese thawed out again in the second half of the season. When he was used by Edin Terzic in midfield, he had his best phase of the season. Average grade: 3.33.

Julian Ryerson: Joined in winter and outstripped Wolf. Absolute regular player under Terzic, but with ups and downs. Average grade: 3.91.

Felix Passlack: Was used a total of three times, evaluated twice. Average grade: 3.25.

Soumaila Coulibaly: Was on the pitch against FSV Mainz 05 of all places and didn’t get away well. Average grade: 5.

Antonios Papadopoulos: A 13-minute mission against Gladbach is not enough. No rating.

Tom Rothe: Came to two brief assignments. No rating.

Nico Schulz and Mateu Morey: Without any effort.

BVB: Average grades of defenders in the Bundesliga

BVB: Midfield

Emre Can: In the first half of the season he made several mistakes and seemed to be playing a typical season. But in the second half of the season he became more and more of a support. Terzic built him in as a six and anchor in front of the defence, where he brought a lot of stability to the Dortmund game in a decisive phase of the season in the spring. Average grade: 3.48.

Salih Ozcan: Initially praised for its stable and low-profile performances, criticism eventually grew for failing to bring anything special to the game. The mistakes also increased and at some point he slipped out of the starting XI. Average grade: 3.77.

Mahmoud Dahoud: After his injury, the 27-year-old no longer played a role at BVB. Still gave everything when he was needed and left a lasting impression with his attitude, especially among BVB fans. However, his time is over. Average grade: 3.1.

Jew Bellingham: The Bundesliga player of the season was once again indispensable for BVB. But he wasn’t entirely without mistakes either. Every now and then he got bogged down in his own emotions and remained below his potential. Complaining at a high level. Average grade: 3.03.

Julian Brandt: The secret player of the season? Not when it comes to average grades. But Brandt was undoubtedly one of the top performers and, above all, very stable in performance for the first time since his arrival. Average grade: 3.19.

Marco Reus: Had to get used to a new role in the second half of the season at the latest, but showed character and, above all, good performances. Average grade: 3.17.

Giovanni Reyna: Missed a few games again this season due to minor health issues. After a World Cup where he was heavily criticized, he struggled to find his rhythm. Still had some highlight games. Above all, he shone as a joker. Average grade: 3.46.

Marco Pasalic: A short mission. No rating.

Abdoulaye Kamara and Goktan Gurpuz: Without any effort.

BVB: Average scores of midfielders in the Bundesliga

*per 90 minutes

BVB: Attack

Karim Adeyemi: It took a long time to warm up to BVB. When Terzic let him run out on the left wing, he blossomed. Average grade: 3.46.

Donyell Paint: Did not perform well for much of the first half of the season but picked up momentum in 2023 and scored a couple of important goals. Malen surprisingly gets the third best rating. Average grade: 3.06.

Jamie Bynoe Gittens: Injuries threw the talent back again and again. When he was on the pitch, however, he was often an important driver on the offensive. Average grade: 3.25.

Thorgan Hazard: One of the weakest players of the season, came on loan in the winter. future open. Average grade: 4.11.

Anthony Modest: Came under difficult conditions because Haller was suffering from testicular cancer. Had to get used to a new game system and never got used to it. With his goals against Hertha BSC and FC Bayern, he somehow contributed to Dortmund almost becoming champions. Average grade: 3.96.

Youssoufa Moukoko: Was able to take further development steps in the shadow of Modeste and later Haller. Still waiting for the big breakthrough. Average grade: 3.53.

Sebastien Haller: His return marked a turning point this season. It’s tragic that he of all people missed a penalty in the final against Mainz and didn’t look good with one of the goals conceded. Nevertheless, not only one of the stories of the season, but also one of the most important players. Average grade: 3.29.

Julien Duranville: Collected a few minutes at the end and indicated that he can bring a lot of joy to BVB. Average grade: 3.5.

Justin Njinmah: He was allowed to play against Mainz for 21 minutes. Average grade: 3.5.

BVB: Average scores of the attackers in the Bundesliga

*per 90 minutes

BVB: The coach

For the trainer we forgive at SPOX usually no grades, which is why there is no average grade. But Edin Terzic proved over the course of the season that he is initially the right man for BVB – despite the tearful final against Mainz. After a first half of the season that can be rated as below average, he and his team put in an impressive second half of the season.

Terzic proved that he can learn from failure and managed to stabilize the team tactically through minor adjustments – for example through a physically stronger midfield. Much more important for Dortmund, however, is that Terzic is the first coach since Jürgen Klopp who was able to electrify the audience. And so, after the bitter disappointment at the end of the season, many BVB fans are already looking ahead.