Berlin: Borussia Dortmund missed the chance to go second in the Bundesliga on Sunday after a 0-0 home draw with Wolfsburg without the dropped Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Before kick-off, Dortmund coach Peter Stoeger revealed he took a dim view of Aubameyang missing a team meeting on Saturday and threw the top-scorer out of the squad.

Dortmund’s attack struggled to finish in his absence, testing visiting goalkeeper Koen Casteel’s with only one of 19 attempts on goal.

“There are rules which apply to every player, regardless of how many goals they score, and it was a logical step,” said Dortmund keeper Roman Burki. “We missed his goals today, that was obvious, and we hope that we won’t be without him again for more games after another dumb mistake.”

It is the third time Aubameyang has been disciplined by the club after an unauthorised video shoot at Dortmund’s training ground last November and a trip to Milan shortly before a Champions League game last season.

In Aubameyang’s absence, 18-year-old Swedish striker Alexander Isak made only his third Bundesliga appearance up front having previously played just 13 minutes in the top flight.

The result leaves Dortmund in the fourth and final Champions League spot, but only one point clear of Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Moenchengladbach, who had earlier fallen to a shock 2-1 defeat at bottom club Cologne.

Agence France-Presse