Overview
- The 25-year-old learned he might start only the day before when Niko Kovac asked if he felt ready, replying that as a footballer you do not say no.
- Dortmund supporters chanted his name and brought him before the Gelbe Wand for the first time in his three-plus years at the club.
- Kovac hailed his ability to last the full match and credited the club’s rehab staff for preparing him to step straight back in.
- He posted a 91 percent pass completion rate and completed 10 of 12 long balls, underscoring a confident distribution display.
- The win over Wolfsburg keeps Dortmund positioned as the closest pursuer to Bayern in the Bundesliga table, per ZDF’s report.