The first friendly match of the China tour was less a roaring success and more a sputtering engine trying to find its rhythm. Against a local Shanghai team, Dortmund managed a narrow 1-0 victory, but the performance was far from convincing.
The absence of Robert Lewandowski, a player whose movements and instincts had become second nature to the squad, was palpable. It was like trying to conduct an orchestra missing its lead violinist; the music was still there, but the melody lacked its familiar, cutting edge.
Mateo, playing in his accustomed CAM role, found himself constantly looking for the runs that weren't there, the subtle shifts in position that Lewandowski had mastered.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with his explosive pace and flamboyant style, was a different kind of striker entirely. He was a cheetah, not a panther. He wanted space to run into, not intricate link-up play in tight areas.
