Mario Götze offers reminder of qualities in Dortmund comeback
Amidst the excitement of the Bundesliga returning to action there was another memorable comeback on the opening weekend: that of Borussia Dortmund attacker Mario Götze.
Having last played in a 1-1 draw away to Mainz on 29 January, the last of just 11 Bundesliga appearances in 2016/17, Götze was diagnosed with "metabolic disturbances" and forced to rest for several months while undergoing treatment.
The FIFA World Cup winner returned to training over the summer but played no part in the Supercup defeat to Bayern Munich or in the DFB Cup first round due to a back complaint.
Watch: Götze back to his best
Now fully fit again, however, on Matchday 1 he was named in the side for Dortmund's trip to Wolfsburg, starting in a three-man midfield alongside Gonzalo Castro and Nuri Sahin.
There were more than a few examples of his customary ease on the ball, initiating attacks and gliding across the pitch as if he had never been away. Götze also provided the assist for Christian Pulisic to score the opener before being substituted for Mahmoud Dahoud in the 61st minute in what was ultimately a convincing 3-0 triumph.
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The praise poured in after the final whistle, with head coach Peter Bosz commenting: "Mario is an extraordinary player, you don't see many like him very often. It's important for him to have minutes out on the pitch." Judging by Saturday's performance, he is likely to get plenty of game time this term.
He featured in the Matchday 2 victory over Hertha Berlin, too, and started his second consecutive game. Now for Götze, it is about finding consistency to return and then stay at the high level we all know he can perform at.