Ein Sprint, a body illusion – a brilliant, well-placed conclusion. Jadon Sancho’s goal was reminiscent of the old days when the exceptional talent still regularly had such actions in their repertoire.
But maybe, this is the hope at Borussia Dortmund, the goal of the English offensive player on Sunday in stoppage time against VfL Wolfsburg was an indication that the magic that Sancho had sprayed in recent years is now an integral part of BVB again -Games will be.
For Sancho, 20, this 2-0 (0-0) on Sunday could have been the start of the season. Because in the past few months, the shooting star of the past two seasons had often looked like a foreign body in the black and yellow structure: He got stuck in his dreaded tempo dribbles, often harmless when he finished on goal.
Jadon Sancho celebrates his goal to 2-0 against VfL Wolfsburg
Source: dpa
In 24 attempts, he didn’t score a single time in the Bundesliga. Against Wolfsburg his former danger flashed again: The 1-0 through Manuel Akanji he initiated with a corner, then he put the lid on it himself.
Sancho dedicates goal to the team
“For the team, thankful!” He wrote afterwards and posted photos on his social channels: one that shows him cheering alone – two that he and his colleagues look forward to. They, in turn, should have been at least as relieved as he was – because everyone at BVB is aware that at least some of the problems Dortmund had in the current season had to do with Sancho’s form crisis.
At some point after the end of last season, in which he had scored 17 goals and prepared 17 goals in the Bundesliga alone, he had gone off course. The carefree that surrounded him was suddenly gone. Sancho felt this, suffered from it – and tried to fight it. It wasn’t that he accepted his crisis indifferently.
In fact, he still got nine assists in 19 competitive games and four goals in the Champions League and the DFB Cup. But until Wolfsburg, he did not manage to reward himself in the league – and threatened to despair. Something was wrong.
Watzke sees change rumors as the cause
The cause, at least BVB managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke believes, had something to do with the fact that Sancho had already left Dortmund internally – to Manchester United. The English record champions wanted to sign Sancho in the summer, but failed with his advance.
Protect yourself: Jadon Sancho (r.) Celebrates with Manuel Akanji
What: AP
In terms of the total volume of the sums that were discussed, the clubs were not that far apart. As a deterrent, the Borussia had put 120 million euros in the room as a transfer. Manchester is said to have been willing to pay up to 100 million – but over a long period of time. “If you get a signal at some point that a large part of the sum offered will only be paid in a few years, it will finally be a pure theoretical discussion,” said Watzke to the “kicker”.
So the Dortmund team closed the topic. Sancho had to stay. He hadn’t expected that. “Jadon might have been subconsciously prepared for a change. I think he thought so much about it that he lost his lightness, “explained Watzke:” The biggest difference is: he used to not think about his next ball action. Now he thinks about it. And the tenth of a second that he misses is often exactly the one in which the opponent then stands on his feet. ”
Terzic seeks conversation
It wasn’t easy to support Sancho on his way back to his old freshness and strength. In any case, coach Lucien Favre did not succeed. Edin Terzic, his successor, tried to talk to him more often, tried to persuade Sancho. Licensed player manager Sebastian Kehl also spoke a lot with Sancho, advising him not to put himself under so much pressure.
It looks like Sancho is better able to find his way back to himself after the short Christmas break. With regard to BVB’s goals for the season, it would be important for Sancho to get the hang of the game in Leipzig, Leverkusen and Mönchengladbach in the coming weeks. His crisis has cost the Dortmunders too many points.
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