The ex-Bayern Munich man feels BVB never really recovered from the departure of the attacking midfielder and the striker
Former Germany star Lothar Matthaus believes Borussia Dortmund’s struggles this season are largely down to the absence of a player like Mario Gotze or Robert Lewandowski.
Gotze left BVB for Bayern ahead of the 2012-13 campaign, while Lewandowski followed suit at the start of this season and the Signal Iduna Park have since struggled to replicate their old form.
Jurgen Klopp’s men are now third bottom in the Bundesliga, sitting 25 points behind champions and leaders Bayern Munich.
Dortmund brought in players such as Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Shinji Kagawa, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ciro Immobile and Adrian Ramos to replace the aforementioned duo, but Matthaus feels they never really recovered from their departure.
“Dortmund still have quality, but they no longer have the players who made the difference like Lewandowski and Gotze,” Matthaus told Sky 90.
“Something’s wrong in the team. They seem to be missing a certain joy and togetherness and they are not showing the same hunger as before.”
Last season’s runners-up host second-placed Wolfsburg on Wednesday evening.