2
Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho put up a much better and more spirited performance despite his side, Borussia Dortmund, suffering defeat at the hands of Hoffenheim.
Dortmund were beaten 3-2 at Signal Iduna Park.
An early goal from Ihlas Bebou and a second-half brace by Maximillian Beier ultimately sunk Edin Terzic’s men.
Dortmund’s goals were grabbed by Donyell Malen and defender Nico Schlotterbeck in the 21st and 25th minutes respectively.
For United fans who were watching, all eyes were on Sancho to see how he would perform.
The winger had an uninspiring display during Dortmund’s previous Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven.
However, Terzic gave the Englishman the nod to start once more and he repaid his manager’s faith in kind. A few days ago, the Dortmund boss spoke to the media and explained that while Sancho was poor vs. PSV, he and his coaching staff were focused on making the player better and helping him gain confidence.
“He didn’t have his best performance today and he knows that he’s able to play better football than today. And this is what we’re going to work on, to get him back on this level every three days when needed. But he’s full of joy, we are really happy and pleased that he’s around.”
Sancho featured for 75 minutes before he was taken off and Jamie Byone-Gittens was brought on in his place as the Bundesliga giants were chasing for an equalizer and possibly a winner.
The United loanee had 60 touches of the ball to his name. He successfully delivered 37 of the 42 passes he attempted to find his teammates with and managed a pass success rate of 88%.
The 23-year-old made three key passes.
He tried to find his intended target with one cross but wasn’t successful. Sancho did not register a shot, whether on-target or off-target. Being a goal threat is something he will undoubtedly be keen to improve on in upcoming games.
The forward embarked on five dribbles and completed four of them. He also won five of the six ground duels he delved into against the Hoffenheim players.
Sancho drew one foul and made one clearance.
(Stats obtained from Sofascore)
He will be looking to build on his improved performance as Dortmund prepare to take on Union Berling next.
