„Most Valuable Player“. American journalists came up with this expression for the most valuable player of a team. For the player “who makes the difference”, as they like to say. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang combines these attributes to himself.

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The player from Gabon celebrated his 21st competitive goal this season during the 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. That is by far the best by anyone for BVB. He is even stronger now that he nearly always plays in the middle up front and does not have to go out wide. Aubameyang is not only the top scorer for BVB (14 goals), he has also provided most of the assists. Against Frankfurt it was the seventh time he laid on a goal.

Aubameyang has now scored nine times since the winter break, only Bast Dost from Wolfsburg has been more successful in the league. In 2015 Aubameyang has been involved in 13 of BVB’s 22 goals, over the whole season he has been involved in 21 of Dortmund’s 40 goals (53%). This means that the 25 year old is the only player in the league who has had a role to play in over half of the goals his team have scored. But winning the top scorer trophy is not that important: “I would have to score three goals a game to achieve that. It is much more important to me that I can help the team with my goals. Just like against Frankfurt.”

It was the first time in the Bundesliga that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stepped up to take a penalty and scored from the spot. Very casual. Afterwards he said: “I have had it in mind for quite a while to take a penalty. I had already told Marco Reus and the Gaffer after the Cup match against Hoffenheim. Of course I paid attention to what the goalie was doing and then I made my decision. Luckily that worked out alright.” He proved how he can hold his nerve recently in an international for Gabon, where there were three penalties – and Auba put them all in the net. (br)