PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG struggled to live up to his £40million price tag as Dortmund scraped past Hertha Berlin and into the German Cup last eight.
The Liverpool and Manchester City target missed a host of chances – including one where he dived embarrassingly – before helping Thomas Tuchel’s side to a penalty shootout win.
Former Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou opened the scoring with a fine volley but turned from hero to villain by missing the final spot-kick after Marco Reus had struck a second-half leveller.
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A defensive shocker from Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos set Vedad Ibisevic through on goal for the game’s first chance but the Bosnia international fired wide.
And the game’s manic start continued as Aubameyang wasted two glorious opportunities.
He first tried to round keeper Rune Jarstein only to dive and embarrassingly kick the ball out for a goal kick in the process.
The Norwegian stopper then pulled off a great stop to deny the Gabon hitman.
Ibisevic astonishingly headed over from close range before Kalou pounced just before the half-hour mark for the opener.
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Niklas Stark delivered a pinpoint cross and Kalou acrobatically stretched to reach the ball ahead keeper Roman Buerki.
Dortmund flew out of the traps after half-time and were soon level through Reus.
French wonderkid Ousmane Dembele struck the foot of the post and the Germany midfielder swept in from the resulting play for his sixth goal in ten games this season.
The hosts piled on the pressure, with Aubameyang unfortunate to have a goal chalked off.
Jarstein denied him with a stunning point-blank save but the keeper was wrongly deemed to have full control of ball when Aubameyang poked in.
The game then drifted towards extra time and penalties, with Reus furious when he had to hobble off injured.
Stand-in skipper Sokratis was then sent off in extra time for dissent, but Tuchel's side got over the line as penalties from Aubameyang, Dembele and Gonzalo Castro put them into the next round despite Christian Pulisic's miss.
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