Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Axel Witsel has spoken about team-mate Jadon Sancho's considerable potential, which he believes could put him among the best in his position.

In an interview with Copa90, the Belgium international was asked for his take on young English players moving to the Bundesliga, with Sancho cited as an example:

📈 @axelwitsel28 is backing @Sanchooo10 to make it right to the 🔝#NewLevels @pumafootball pic.twitter.com/47Z4fYGSxc

— COPA90 (@Copa90) April 2, 2019

Per Goal, Witsel said:

"It's good because he's getting a chance here in Germany.

"English players used to stay in England but what Jadon is doing now is amazing.

"He has a lot of quality, I think he can be one of the top wingers in the world if he keeps working hard and listens to us a little bit!"

Sancho has played an important role in Dortmund's Bundesliga title challenge this season.

On Saturday, the 19-year-old contributed an assist as BVB beat Wolfsburg 2-0 in dramatic fashion to move two points in front of Bayern Munich in the title race:

This Bundesliga season 😍

A brace from Paco Alcacer fires Borussia Dortmund back to the top 👆

That Jadon Sancho assist 😏 pic.twitter.com/QZi0EXdXL6

— GOAL (@goal) April 1, 2019

It was far from the first time Sancho has shown his creativity this season:

Most assists in Europe's top five leagues so far this season:

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jadon Sancho (13)
🇦🇷 Lionel Messi (12)
🇧🇪 Eden Hazard (11)
🇦🇷 Ángel Di María (10)
🇩🇰 Christian Eriksen (10)
🇩🇪 Joshua Kimmich (10)
🇩🇪 Julian Brandt (10)
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Ryan Fraser (10)

Teenager leading the way. pic.twitter.com/dW7508KKaS

— Squawka (@Squawka) April 2, 2019

As a result of his impressive efforts at such a young age, Sancho is now the most valuable player in the Bundesliga, according to the International Centre for Sports Studies:

Most expensive players on the transfer market per club, top ranked @Bundesliga_DE teams. Data for all clubs in last @CIES_Football Weekly Post at https://t.co/IzUgMP8Tm3 #Sancho #Süle #Werner #NDicka #Pléa #Rashica pic.twitter.com/26IG4w9iLI

— CIES Football Obs (@CIES_Football) April 3, 2019

The winger's form has also earned him call-ups to England's senior setup this season.

He made his first competitive start for the Three Lions in their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier against Czech Republic in March, and he already looks like he'll be a regular fixture in the side under manager Gareth Southgate:

What a well worked goal by @England!

The front three combine and @Sanchooo10 squares for @sterling7 who finishes a lovely move! ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/6oWHkO4ZGe

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 22, 2019

It's still early in Sancho's career, but he's already producing a consistent end product, something that often takes time for young players to achieve.

Playing in Dortmund also means there's not quite as intense a spotlight on him as there would be in the Premier League, which will do his development no harm.

If Sancho continues to improve his game in the coming years, Witsel may well prove correct in his assessment.

Borussia Dortmund have announced Achraf Hakimi's season has come to an end, as the young defender has been diagnosed with a broken metatarsal.

DW Sports translated Dortmund's announcement on Twitter:

Borussia Dortmund reveal that Achraf Hakimi is out for the rest of the season after suffering a broken metatarsal vs. Wolfsburg.

Abdou Diallo is also out for an unspecified amount of time with muscle issues. https://t.co/k9I5NhlMKa

— DW Sports (@dw_sports) April 1, 2019

The 20-year-old lasted just 25 minutes against Wolfsburg before limping to the sidelines. He has already returned to Madrid for surgery.

As Goal's Ronan Murphy shared, the Real Madrid loanee was a major part of the team's strong first half of the season:

OFFICIAL: Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that Achraf Hakimi will miss the rest of the season due to a broken metatarsal. Huge loss for Dortmund as he was one of their best performers in the first half of the season. #BVB https://t.co/QIGaRqRXPQ

— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) April 1, 2019

Hakimi was thrown in at the deep end in the Spanish capital during the 2017-18 campaign, as a series of injuries forced him into the starting XI before he was ready. The academy product struggled, and a loan seemed inevitable once Los Blancos announced the transfer of the more experienced Alvaro Odriozola.

The temporary exit has proved the right move, as the Morocco international has blossomed in Germany.

He was an instant hit in the Bundesliga, winning the Rookie of the Month award in September:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov2FhnEEUOA

He went on to win the award again in November, firmly establishing himself as a key player for Die Schwarzgelben.

Hakimi's strong play has continued since, leading to 19 starts in the Bundesliga. Capable of playing as a left-back and right-back, his versatility is one of the main reasons why he has been such a presence in the team.

Dortmund lead the Bundesliga standings by two points, as the title race seems set to go down to the wire. Bayern Munich, who have dominated the competition in recent years, have bounced back from a poor spell before the winter break and will be BVB's next opponents on Saturday.

Losing Hakimi for that contest and the rest of the season is a major blow for Dortmund, who are already light in defence. Abdou Diallo, another young breakout star, also picked up a knock against Wolfsburg and is likely to be out for Saturday's match. Hakimi was his replacement against Die Wolfe.  

Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic is set to miss between three and four weeks due to a tear in his right thigh muscle.

ESPN said on Thursday the issue the playmaker accrued in the United States' 1-1 draw with Chile on Tuesday is likely to sideline him for as much as a month.

Having left the match early after scoring for the U.S. men's national team, Pulisic returned to Dortmund, and his club manager Lucien Favre provided an assessment on his condition ahead of the match against Wolfsburg on Saturday.

"Pulisic sadly is injured," he said, per ESPN FC. "He will definitely not play."

With Pulisic set for a sustained spell on the sidelines, he may be absent for BVB's crucial clash with Bayern Munich on April 6.

Dortmund and Bayern are currently involved in a gripping title race in the Bundesliga, with the two deadlocked on points and the latter in front on goal difference.

The injury in the 1-1 draw against Chile blemished what should have been a landmark night for Pulisic, as he scored his 10th goal for the national team: 

With yesterday's goal against Chile, Christian Pulisic has become the youngest USMNT player all-time to reach 10 goals 👏👏🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/wFDtsr8y94

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 27, 2019

Pulisic has agreed to join Chelsea at the end of the season for a reported £58 million, and with that move in mind, football writer Lars Pollmann said this injury may mean we've seen Pulisic in the yellow and black of Dortmund for the final time:

https://twitter.com/LarsPollmann/status/1111298400341934080

While the USMNT star will be disappointed to be sitting out such an important part of the season, his absence doesn't represent an enormous blow for the Dortmund team.

In 2018-19, Pulisic has found it tough to nail down a regular spot in the starting XI at the Westfalenstadion. The 20-year-old has only started six games for Dortmund in the German top flight, with his other nine appearances coming off the bench.

 

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has dismissed speculation linking Jadon Sancho with a big-money move to Manchester United.

The Sun's Mike McGrath reported the Red Devils could splash out £80 million on him as they look to prioritise strengthening their right wing this summer.

However, Zorc told Sport Bild (h/t Goal's Will Kent): "I'm far from putting a price tag on Jadon, but I will say that, even for the biggest club in the world, his transfer would be difficult right now. Jadon will play at Dortmund next season and we are definitely planning with him."

Sancho arrived from Manchester City in 2017, and the 18-year-old has enjoyed a breakout campaign this season with nine goals and 15 assists in all competitions.

FootballJOE's Si Lloyd can envision United pursuing the youngster:

https://twitter.com/SmnLlyd5/status/1105391586815475714

United have neglected to strengthen their right flank for years, resulting in players like Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford being forced out wide due to a lack of natural options there.

Given the campaign Sancho has enjoyed, it comes as no surprise that he might be on their radar.

He has been in a class of his own this season, as football statistician Dave O'Brien illustrated:

Jadon Sancho is averaging more successful take-ons (3.1), more chances created (2) and more assists per game (0.4) than any other teenager across Europe’s top five leagues.

Head and shoulders above his peers. 🙌🙌🙌 pic.twitter.com/1whZ8wAA4S

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 6, 2019

The winger has been terrorising defences in the Bundesliga on a regular basis:

£100m for Jadon Sancho? 🤑

He is being linked with a huge move back to the Premier League...

He's tearing up the Bundesliga this season 🙌pic.twitter.com/P2GJTEc14p

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 5, 2019

He also won February's Bundesliga Goal of the Month competition for this sublime volley:

Jadon Sancho once again for Dortmund! 🌟

Excellent technique from the young Englishman 👏

Is there anything he can't do?! 😧 pic.twitter.com/gTI1jZLFa2

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 24, 2019

Sancho's efforts have already seen him break into the England senior team, and it's clear he has the talent and potential to enjoy a bright future.

For the time being, though, remaining with Dortmund would seem a wise move. The youngster is still developing his game, and BVB are giving him a platform to do this at a high level with regular minutes.

He's also not quite under the same scrutiny as he would be at Old Trafford, for example, so he can flourish outside the spotlight in Germany with less pressure on his shoulders.  

There is nothing quite like Borussia Dortmund's Yellow Wall.

Twenty-five thousand fans can pack into this part of the club's Westfalenstadion and create one of the best atmospheres in the game. 

Let's take a look inside.

Borussia Dortmund starlet Jadon Sancho still has "a lot to learn" and must match his talent with hard work, according to manager Lucien Favre.

The 18-year-old has starred for the Bundesliga side this season, but the team's form has dipped in recent weeks and Favre says his players need to apply themselves, per Stephan Uersfeld at ESPN FC.

"Jadon is very talented, but also only 18 years old," he said. "At that age, you go through a lot of ups and downs. He has a lot of potential, but also still a lot to learn. They [the young Dortmund players] all have talent but, without work, talent does not exist. It's 10 per cent talent and 90 per cent work."

Sancho has scored nine goals and contributed 11 goals for Dortmund this season, and he was named the Bundesliga player of the month for October:

Jadon Sancho (18) is the Bundesliga's Player of the Month for October:

🦁 3 appearances
🦁 3 goals
🦁 1 assist

Directly involved in a Bundesliga goal every 63 minutes. pic.twitter.com/bEH9cXTqHz

— SCOUTED (@scoutedftbl) November 16, 2018

His form also saw him called up to the senior England squad, and he made his full debut against the United States in a friendly in November.

Sancho's impressive impact at Dortmund has also seen him linked with a move to some of Europe's top clubs.

Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are both keen on the winger who could cost £100 million, according to James Ducker at the Daily Telegraph.

Meanwhile, Dortmund have seen a nine-point lead at the top of the table wiped out after a poor run of results, including a 2-1 defeat to Augsburg on Friday.

Former Dortmund midfielder Matthias Sammer was critical of Dortmund's immaturity after the damaging loss at the SGL Arena, per Eurosport (h/t Goal's Chris Burton).

He said: "This is Borussia Dortmund, where people think: 'We are already the German champion.' But they are immature. You could see it for some time now."

Dortmund are also on the brink of an exit from the UEFA Champions League. They host Tottenham Hotspur in the second leg of their last 16 tie on Tuesday but are 3-0 down from the first leg.

Sancho offered a glimpse of his talents in the defeat at Wembley Stadium:

Almost home after a fantastic night at Wembley. Spurs outstanding in the second half. Son with another big goal, Vertonghen superb, Winks so mature in midfield. Saw enough of Jadon Sancho in the first half to wet the appetite. All in all a great game to commentate on ⚽️

— Darren Fletcher (@DFletcherSport) February 14, 2019

Dortmund and Favre will need Sancho to recapture his best form if they are to complete a remarkable turnaround against Spurs, and he is expected to start the match at Signal Iduna Park.

Sancho has already shown this season just what an exciting prospect he is, and Favre's comments show he's keen to ensure the youngster lives up to his full potential.

If you weren't already excited for the next set of Champions League matches, you will be now.

The Round of 16 continues on Wednesday as Tottenham takes on Borussia Dortmund and Ajax faces Real Madrid. Some of the biggest names in the world will be in action as the clubs try to get off to a strong start in the first leg of the knockout stage.

Check out the latest hype video to get ready for the upcoming battles.

Borussia Dortmund starlet Jadon Sancho has revealed his admiration for former Barcelona and Brazil star Ronaldinho. 

The 18-year-old will face Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday in his first club game at Wembley Stadium, though he has played there before as an England international.

Per Goal's David Binder, Sancho spoke ahead of the clash and said: "I've always wanted to be a professional footballer, make people watch me and say 'whoa,' like how I used to watch Ronaldinho and go 'wow, I want to be like him one day.' Hopefully, I could become that level one day and players will look up to me and say 'wow.'"

On his desire to emulate Ronaldinho, he added: "My role model was Ronaldinho. The reason behind that is how he just beat people with ease and did things that no one else was doing at his time. That's why it was him."

Another role model for the youngster has been team-mate Marco Reus, as he discussed with Raphael Honigstein for BT Sport:

"My friends even say it's so crazy that I'm playing with Marco Reus!"

Jadon Sancho has taken his #ChampionsLeague dream from FIFA to reality 🙌

Tonight he returns to London as one of the brightest prospects in European football 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/OHXcTgG80c

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 13, 2019

Per Binder, he elaborated on his relationship with the Germany star:

"Reus, his case is that he's helped me mature as a player, he can tell when I'm having my game and I'm not.

"You can see, when he talked to me after I scored against Frankfurt, he was saying 'Relax, be yourself, you have nothing to lose, you're playing well so far.'

"Frankfurt was a big game and I was a bit nervous and you could tell I was a bit off it but eventually I got into the game."

Sancho has established himself as a regular fixture in the team this campaign with 17 starts in all competitions.

The winger—who predominantly plays on the right but has also spent time on the left this season—has rewarded the faith of manager Lucien Favre with an impressive return of eight goals and 13 assists.

He got one of each in Dortmund's 3-3 draw with Hoffenheim on Saturday:

Last time we saw Jadon Sancho...

We saw why everyone is raving about him 🔥

Tonight he returns to London, looking to deliver on the biggest stage. #ChampionsLeaguepic.twitter.com/P2GJTEc14p

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 13, 2019

As he demonstrated in that match, he's a dazzling player with the ball at his feet.

Blessed with technical skill and blistering pace to go with it, defenders have had a difficult time stopping him this season:

Most take-ons completed in the Bundesliga this season:

64 - Jadon Sancho
63
62
61
60
59
58
57
56
55
54
53
52
51
50
49
48
47
46 - Daniel Caligiuri

Tickets to the Sanshow, please. 🎟 pic.twitter.com/pIpqjOsbZs

— Squawka (@Squawka) February 9, 2019

That he is already showing plenty of end product only makes him more exciting, and he'll be eager to show what he can do on home soil on Wednesday in what is arguably the biggest game of his career.

It could be a close tie between Spurs and the Bundesliga leaders, so it could fall to players such as Sancho to make the difference for their side.

Borussia Dortmund confirmed on Tuesday that they will be without a number of key players for their UEFA Champions League showdown with Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, including Marco Reus and Paco Alcacer. 

The team's official Twitter account posted a list of absentees on the eve of the match at Wembley, with right-back Lukasz Piszczek and midfielder Julian Weigl also out:

Balerdi is part of the squad headed to London ✅

Absent from the #THFCBVB trip ❌
- Reus (thigh injury)
- Weigl (flu)
- Paco (shoulder inflammation)
- Piszczek (foot pain) pic.twitter.com/Bca950gxk0

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) February 12, 2019

Without Reus and Alcacer manager Lucien Favre will be missing his most prolific forwards, making this clash against Spurs a big challenge for the team.

Dan Kilpatrick of the Evening Standard noted that BVB will push Mario Gotze into attack as a result of these problems:

#thfc Good news for Spurs, as Dortmund quartet Marco Reus (thigh), Julian Weigl (illness), Paco Alcacer (shoulder) & Lukasz Piszczek (foot) all miss the trip to London. Gotze likelt to play up front.

— Dan Kilpatrick (@Dan_KP) February 12, 2019

So far in 2018-19 both Reus and Alcacer have excelled for Dortmund, scoring 13 and 12 times respectively in the Bundesliga. Their predatory instincts in front of goal were key to BVB progressing as group winners in the Champions League and have helped Borussia to a five-point lead at the top of the league standings.

Reus has long been besieged by injury issues, although Favre has been able to find a way of getting him on the field more often this term. That's been a major boost for Dortmund, as his creativity, dribbling skill and nose for goals have added an edge to their attacks.

As these figures illustrate, the Germany international enjoyed a return to his best last year:

24 – Birthday boy @LeroySane19 turns 23 today. He was involved in 24 goals in the @premierleague (10 goals, 14 assists) for @ManCity in 2018, more than any other German player in the big 5 European leagues. Outstanding. pic.twitter.com/vlMvbovAiz

— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) January 11, 2019

Alcacer has been an inspired signing for BVB, arriving on loan from Barcelona initially before the transfer was made permanent. Having struggled for minutes at the Camp Nou, he's been a major threat up top for Favre's team, with his penalty-box instincts razor sharp.

The other two players not involved will also leave Favre with headaches, as the team is short of options at the back.

As of late Weigl has been filling in at centre-back for Dortmund alongside Abdou Diallo, with Manuel Akanji injured. Ronan Murphy of Goal thinks he'll be a tough man to replace:

Never mind Marco Reus, Dortmund's biggest absentee against Spurs is world class centre-back Julian Weigl. #BVB

— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) February 12, 2019

Tottenham have injury woes of their own to contend with ahead of the game. Like Dortmund, they will be without two of their most important attackers in Harry Kane and Dele Alli.

The injuries are unlikely to dampen the enthusiasm among supporters ahead of what promises to be a fascinating contest between two exciting teams. Both Dortmund and Spurs performed admirably in the group stages of the competition, progressing from challenging pools, and will consider themselves dark horses for this title.

England prospect Jadon Sancho says Chelsea-bound midfielder Christian Pulisic inspired him to leave the home comforts of Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund.

Pulisic left his Pennsylvania home in the United States to join Dortmund in 2015 and was promoted to their first team at only 17. Sancho was the same age when he joined the Black and Yellows from City for £8 million in August 2017, and he told ESPN FC's Raphael Honigstein of the influence Pulisic had on his decision:

"The club had shown with a player like Christian Pulisic that they were going in the right way, playing youngsters and giving them a chance. He came from the same situation as me, leaving his family behind.

"He was so young, and he was brave enough. America is a lot further away than England and he's taken a bigger step than I have done. How he's handled that, what he does on the pitch, his mentality [towards] football, it's just crazy. The passion he has. I admire him."

Chelsea confirmed in January that they had agreed a deal to sign Pulisic and loan him back to Dortmund until the summer. BVB announced the transfer was worth €64 million (£56 million), representing the highest fee ever commanded by a player from the United States and coming only four years after he arrived in Europe.

Sancho has responded similarly well to his newfound first-team promotion and has scored seven goals to go along with his 12 assists in all competitions this season.

Statman Dave hailed that as an elite figure for any player, never mind one who doesn't turn 19 until March:

Across Europe’s top five leagues, only Eden Hazard & Lionel Messi (both 10) have registered more assists than Jadon Sancho (9).

Would be the perfect solution to United’s RW issue. 😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/w4sdXLsVcy

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 1, 2019

Pulisic's departure for west London actually aids Sancho in terms of competition down Dortmund's right side, but the former City starlet—who spent eight years in Watford's academy—continued to gush over the Chelsea signing:

"He's an outstanding player, I really do look up to him. Him going away from home shows that you have to do things to get out of your comfort zone, sometimes.

"I feel it's worked for him and it's working for me now, because we're both staying focussed and keep training hard."

The challenge for Pulisic now before he arrives in England is maintaining the same standards despite a raised awareness of his talent and the expectations that follow. 

He recently put Dortmund ahead with a fine finish in extra time during their 3-3 draw against Werder Bremen in the DFB-Pokal round of 16 (Dortmund lost 7-5 on penalties), via ESPN FC:

A brilliant run and finish from Christian Pulisic! pic.twitter.com/rA18N81eJj

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 5, 2019

If his blueprint is one Sancho could hope to follow, it could light the way for a fairytale return to the Premier League complete with major transfer fee—providing he wants to come back.

Dortmund's approach to developing their youth stars in the senior side continues to pay dividends, meanwhile, as Pulisic is moved on for huge profit only for another star prospect to take his place.