The midfielder's first half goal was enough to secure all three point for last season's Bundesliga runners-up as they climbed back up the table in the first game of the weekend
Jurgen Klopp's men have endured a torrid start to the domestic season and came into the clash at
Signal Iduna Park propping up the rest of the division.
Dortmund were the better side throughout game and sealed victory courtesy of Ilkay Gundogan's superb first-half header.
For Gundogan, who recently returned after a long spell out with a back injury, it was a first goal for Dortmund since netting in the 4-2 win over Bayern Munich in the DFL Supercup in July 2013.
The hosts could have won by more and were wrongly denied a second goal when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw a header incorrectly disallowed for offside shortly after half-time, while the Gabon international saw another effort chalked off by the officials in the final 20 minutes.
It mattered little, however, as Klopp's men held on to their slender lead to secure only their second victory in the past 11 league outings since the start of the new campaign, all thanks to Gundogan.