MWith returnee Jadon Sancho providing preparation and an unadorned victory, Borussia Dortmund started its race to catch up in the Bundesliga. The championship runners-up won 3-0 (1-0) against bottom team SV Darmstadt 98 on Saturday evening. The German national player Julian Brandt scored in front of 17,810 spectators at the sold-out Böllenfalltor in the 24th minute, Marco Reus made it 2-0 after an assist from Sancho (77th). Youssoufa Moukoko (90th + 2) brought the final point. After four games without a three-pointer, BVB celebrated another sense of achievement at the start of the year in a largely disjointed encounter.
The gap to leaders Bayer Leverkusen and defending champions FC Bayern Munich is still 15 and eleven points respectively for coach Edin Terzic's team. Newly promoted Darmstadt has now been without a win for ten games, but showed a courageous performance.
BVB started the game without Mats Hummels, who was ill. Emre Can played for him in central defense alongside Nico Schlotterbeck. On the left side of the defense, Ian Maatsen (most recently FC Chelsea) made a reliable debut, while Sancho – the loanee from Manchester United had no match practice for a long time – initially sat on the bench. “He seemed very happy in the training sessions,” said Terzic in an interview with Sky before kick-off. “We didn’t sign him to play today, but to help us for the next six months.”
The Dortmund team started very carefully and let the lilies play along for the time being. The visitors' lead came from a quick counterattack via Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, with Brandt firing a low shot into the far corner – his sixth goal of the season. Shortly before, the World Cup participant had failed due to preparatory work by Maadsen due to SVD keeper Marcel Schuhen.
For the still biting and courageous Darmstadt team, nothing more stood out before the break than a dangerous direct pass from Tim Skarke. The tireless relegation candidate regularly conquered sloppily played balls from the opponent.
Sancho tried directly
“January can be our month,” BVB sports director Sebastian Kehl predicted. The new Terzic assistants Nuri Sahin and Sven Bender appeared on the sidelines every now and then to push their team forward. But too rarely did Dortmund really pick up the pace. And Brandt often got stuck somewhere in midfield.
After the break, referee Deniz Aytekin had to briefly interrupt the encounter: a fan ran onto the pitch and wanted to take a selfie with Niclas Füllkrug, but the national striker turned away and a steward led the young man off the pitch.
In the 55th minute, Sancho made his comeback as a joker, but he also quickly felt the hosts' strength in duels. Barely ten minutes later, BVB almost conceded the equalizer: Luca Pfeiffer came completely free to head the ball from close range, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel blocked it with his foot. With a cross pass to Reus like in earlier times, the very hard-working Sancho then managed to assist on the goal. The returnee ran a lot and made himself available, but his commitment did not result in a goal of his own. After a one-two with Marcel Sabitzer, Moukoko was able to celebrate a goal shortly before the end.
#BVB #Jadon #Sancho #Dortmund #defeats #Darmstadt #Bundesliga
