Tuchel hails Castro after Dortmund thrash Paderborn

Thomas Tuchel has praised Gonzalo Castro in the wake of Borussia Dortmund’s 7-1 DFB-Pokal win over Paderborn on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old has been struggling to live up to the high expectations since joining Dortmund from Bayer Leverkusen and has started just three times in the Bundesliga so far this term.

Castro impressed against Paderborn, though, as he netted twice to help his side through to the round of 16.

“Castro put in a very good performance. I am very happy for him that he showed his class to all,” Tuchel said at a news conference.

“He has given the team a lot of energy and got something in return now. This confirms we were right to be patient with him. Gonzalo has always remained calm.”

Roman Burki was at fault for Paderborn’s opening goal, yet Tuchel was quick to forgive the goalkeeper following Dortmund’s fine performance.

“He will make a mistake like that only once a year. We don’t need any video analysis there,” Tuchel added.

“But I am very happy with the way the team reacted. We are delighted. We are proud that the fans can go home happy. The goal we conceded only spurred us on.”