Borussia Dortmund’s Season Review: Player Performances from Kobel to Guirassy

The numbers tell one story. The mood around Dortmund tells another. Somewhere between them lies a season of near-misses, stalled careers and a handful of genuine breakthroughs.

Kobel, the Constant

If there was one position Dortmund did not have to worry about, it was in goal. Gregor Kobel played 47 competitive matches, logged 4,260 minutes, conceded 57 times and still walked away as one of the side’s few unquestioned pillars.

Eighteen clean sheets, countless rescue acts. He dragged Dortmund through tight games with spectacular stops and turned a cup tie in Frankfurt into his personal stage by starring in the penalty shoot-out. The only blot on his campaign: a needless pass in the Freiburg match that triggered Jobe Bellingham’s red card. One misjudgement in a season of authority. Rating: 2.

Defence: Anton Rises, Schlotterbeck Wavers

The centre of defence told a tale of shifting roles.

Nico Schlotterbeck returned from long-term injury in September looking sharp, then lost his way. Over 37 matches and 3,290 minutes, he oscillated between assured and erratic, directly involved in several goals conceded. Uncertainty over his future hung over him and it showed. Five goals – a personal best – underline his threat in the opposition box, but they also highlight how much better he can be at the back. Rating: 3.

Alongside him, Waldemar Anton quietly became the rock. The former Stuttgart defender racked up 3,927 minutes in 44 matches and delivered what Dortmund had been crying out for: reliability. He tackled with conviction, stayed switched on, and threw himself into every duel. It was Anton, not Schlotterbeck, who emerged as the defensive linchpin. Rating: 2.

On the left, Ramy Bensebaini finally looked settled. One of the most technically gifted in the squad, the Algerian sharpened his defensive work while remaining clean and composed in the build-up. Across 32 matches and 2,396 minutes he chipped in with seven goals and three assists – a strong return for a defender and the best tally behind the attacking quartet of Guirassy, Brandt, Beier and Adeyemi. Rating: 2.5.

On the right, things were far less straightforward. Last season’s “problem child” once again failed to fully convince. Six goal contributions from 27 games and 1,501 minutes (three goals, three assists) are respectable, but not enough to justify a €25 million fee. He showed more commitment, cut down his glaring errors and made clear progress in the first half of the season, yet defensive duels still exposed him. After the winter break he lost his place to the in-form Julian Ryerson and slid back to the bench. Rating: 4.5.

Young Defenders: Promise and Pain

Dortmund’s injury issues opened the door for youth.

A 20‑year‑old Italian centre-back stepped in, took his chance and quickly earned his first professional contract. Used mainly on the right of a back three, he played it safe, relied heavily on Anton’s guidance and rarely overreached. Nine games, 603 minutes, one goal – and a decent first impression. Rating: 3.5.

Another 20‑year‑old, on loan from Chelsea, went even further in flashing his potential. Anselmino arrived short of match practice, impressed on debut, then vanished with injury. When he returned, he looked like he had never been away: aggressive in the tackle, intelligent in positioning, calm on the ball. Ten matches, 585 minutes, one goal and one assist – then Chelsea triggered a winter buy-back clause and took him back just as he had found his stride. Rating: 2.5.

For one academy defender, the step up was brutal. He benefited from the absences of Schlotterbeck and Emre Can at the start of the season, debuting in the cup at Essen with a solid display. Five days later in the Bundesliga he conceded a late penalty and was sent off. That moment changed his year. Reggiani jumped ahead of him in the hierarchy, and he was sent back to the U23s. Six appearances, 311 minutes, no rating – and a bitter lesson.

Midfield: Nmecha’s Breakthrough, Sabitzer’s Fade

In midfield, Felix Nmecha finally delivered the season Dortmund had been waiting for. Across 42 appearances and 3,137 minutes, he controlled games with his dominance on the ball, his ability to accelerate play and his vision between the lines. When he dipped, the whole side sagged. When injury took him out, his absence underlined how central he had become. Five goals and three assists complete his best campaign yet in black and yellow. Rating: 2.

The picture around him was far less encouraging.

Emre Can missed months at the start, then never truly stabilised. Sixteen games, 980 minutes, three goals – and then a cruciate ligament tear that ended his season early. Rating: 3.5.

Salih Özcan’s year barely got going. Left out of the Champions League squad and unable to complete a summer move due to injury, he received promises of more minutes after the winter break from Niko Kovac. They never materialised. Twelve appearances, just 74 minutes, and no contract extension. He leaves on a free, without a rating.

Marcel Sabitzer’s campaign drifted. After a poor pre-season, the Austrian briefly found his rhythm only to lose it again. At 32, with his experience and ability, Dortmund expected more than sporadic influence and long spells of anonymity. Over 34 appearances and 2,347 minutes, he managed one goal and four assists – numbers that match the eye test of a player too often on the periphery. Rating: 4.5.

Wide Men and Creators: Flashes, but No Sustained Fire

On the flanks and between the lines, quality was there. Consistency was not.

The Norwegian wide man failed to score in 42 games and 3,067 minutes, but his 18 assists kept Dortmund’s attack ticking. Fifteen of those came in the Bundesliga, a figure bettered only by Bayern’s Michael Olise (22) and Luiz Diaz (17). His work rate and fighting spirit remained elite, yet in Europe his limitations were exposed at times. Rating: 2.5.

Jobe Bellingham, by contrast, needed time to adjust to the jump from England’s second tier. Early on he played within himself, often looking unsteady defensively and choosing the safe option. As the season wore on, he grew. Forty-five appearances, 2,665 minutes, four assists, no goals – and, crucially, a regular starting role in 29 of those games. The foundation is there; the attacking punch is still missing. Rating: 3.5.

Julian Brandt produced another season of numbers that flatter and frustrate. Fifteen goal contributions from only 24 starts is a strong return: 11 goals and four assists in 41 games and 2,203 minutes. Only Guirassy scored more. Yet the same old question lingers. In his seventh season at the club, the sustained top level expected of him never fully arrived, and several performances fell well below his ceiling. Dortmund, who chose not to extend his contract, must now replace that output. Rating: 2.5.

One of the most curious stories belonged to a 34‑year‑old creator who, despite ranking second among Dortmund’s outfielders with 15 assists in the 2024/25 campaign, spent most of this season watching from the bench. He started only eight times in 16 appearances and 732 minutes, failed to impress when called upon and opted for a winter return to former club Brighton. Rating: 4.5.

Forwards: Guirassy’s Storm, Beier’s Surge, Adeyemi’s Slump

Up front, the season revolved around Serhou Guirassy – for better and worse.

A year earlier he had produced 43 goal contributions in 45 matches. This time he dropped to 28 in 46, still a formidable tally but a clear step back. His 22 goals doubled the return of Dortmund’s next-best scorer, Brandt, and he added six assists. Then came the drought: one goal in 13 Bundesliga matches, a barren run that weighed on the entire attack. Off the pitch and on the touchline he did himself no favours either – a penalty row in Turin, a refusal to shake Kovac’s hand, and body language that drew criticism. Rating: 2.5.

Maximilian Beier, by contrast, lit up the second half of the season. Six goals and seven assists in 44 matches and 2,736 minutes, often from positions that did not suit him – shunted to the left midfield or used away from his preferred role as part of a front two or as a central, deep-lying striker. His influence grew with every week, and his form has likely pushed him into contention for the DFB squad at the World Cup. To make that place his own, he has to keep this level. Rating: 2.5.

Karem Adeyemi’s year split in two. Before the turn of the year he looked sharp, contributing to nine goals and hinting at a breakout campaign. Then 2026 arrived and everything unravelled. Injury restricted him, form deserted him, and off-field and on-field disciplinary issues earlier in the season cast a long shadow. He still finished as joint third-top scorer with Beier on ten goals, plus six assists, from 39 games and 1,836 minutes. For a player of his talent, that output feels like a warning, not a comfort. Rating: 4.

Dortmund’s new striker, signed while injured, never quite caught fire. He spent much of the season limited to short cameos as he played catch-up physically. The energy was there, the willingness too, and seven assists from 39 games and 1,181 minutes prove he can link play. But three goals and a long wait for his first Bundesliga strike highlight the missing edge. Next season he has to turn endeavour into ruthlessness. Rating: 3.5.

Carney Chukwuemeka’s story mirrored that of another expensive, underused signing. Same high fee, similarly modest return. Across 38 matches and 1,225 minutes he averaged just 32 minutes per appearance and started only ten times. In mid-April at Hoffenheim he completed 90 minutes in a professional match for the first time in his career. His fitness remains the central problem. The talent is obvious, the stamina is not. Three goals and two assists are flashes, not a body of work. Rating: 4.5.

The New Face Between the Lines

Among the youngest, one name crackled with promise: Inacio. At 18, he has already convinced Kovac, who says the teenager “sees things that others don't see even at 30.” In seven appearances and 383 minutes he scored once, worked relentlessly off the ball and repeatedly found pockets of space between the lines. With a touch more precision he could easily have three or four goals to his name. No rating yet – but every sign that he will matter next season.

The Supporting Cast

Some stories barely made it onto the pitch. Cole Campbell (16 minutes), Almugera Kabar (14) and Mathis Albert (2) only tasted brief cameos. Nine others – Alexander Meyer, Patrick Drewes, Silas Ostrzinski, Yannik Lührs, Danylo Krevsun, Elias Benkara, Julien Duranville, Giovanni Reyna and Mussa Kaba – sat in the squad on various occasions without playing a single minute.

For them, the season existed on the fringes. For Dortmund as a whole, it existed in the gap between potential and delivery.

The question now is simple: with Kobel secure, Anton established, Nmecha growing, Beier rising and Inacio emerging, can this squad finally turn scattered individual strides into a coherent, relentless team next year – or will another season slip away in the same familiar haze of what‑ifs?