Jadon Sancho Provides Assist In 3-0 Dortmund Victory Over Darmstadt

It was, without a doubt, a picture for romantics. In the 77th minute, with Dortmund having a narrow 1-0 lead over Darmstadt, Jadon Sancho broke into the penalty box and set up Marco Reus for the second goal. The ensuing celebration invoked images of two years ago when the pair were celebrating on a regular basis.

Without a doubt, bringing on Reus and Sancho for Julian Bandt and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens in the 55th minute was the game-deciding moment for Dortmund. Indeed, head coach Edin Terzic will have to be complemented for his game-deciding substitutions in the second half as Youssoufa Moukoko, who came on in the 81st minute for the disappointing Niclas Füllkrug scored Dortmund’s third in the 90th minute.

After the game Edin Terzic admitted that the three goals and Sancho’s triumphant return may have overshadowed the overall pedestrian Dortmund performance. “Some things worked well, others didn’t,” Terzic said to German broadcaster Sky after the game. “It was a well-earned win; scored three goals and had chances to score even more goals. At the same time, we managed to prevent the other team from producing chances. It wasn’t an easy game.”

It didn’t look easy what Dortmund was producing on the pitch in Darmstadt, and if it wasn’t for goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and his phenomenal save in the 64th minute, perhaps the game would have taken a different turn. But Kobel kept the ball out, and then Sancho came on to write the perfect storyline with his buddy Reus.

Sancho, in fact, was enthusiastic about his comeback. “Since I came back, it felt like I have come home,” Sancho said to Sky. “I am just happy to be back on the pitch. Marco is a close friend of mine, and I was happy to assist him for his goal. My goal is to be happy again and help the team to get into the top three. We now go from game to game, and I am certain that we will do well if we fight in every match.”

It was a dream comeback for Sancho and Dortmund. Not only did Sancho score an assist on his return, but with Leipzig losing to Eintracht Frankfurt, Dortmund has now closed the gap to the top four and a Champions League spot to just three points. Indeed, with Dortmund facing Köln next weekend and Leipzig playing undefeated league leaders Leverkusen, the Black and Yellows could close the gap to just a goal differential.

Although, as things stand, a fifth spot might be enough for Dortmund to reach the Champions League as the Bundesliga leads this season’s co-efficient points, there is no guarantee that spot will be available at the end of the season. With that in mind, a top-four finish is paramount for Dortmund’s club finances both in terms of improving the squad—including a narrow chance to keep Sancho—and overcoming the financial hit the club took during COVID-19.

On paper, then, this was a perfect weekend. But prior to Sancho coming on, Dortmund’s performance raised some questions. Terzic’s squad was sluggish and lacked originality in the attack. Also, in terms of quality, Darmstadt might be the worst team in the Bundesliga and, therefore, hardly a benchmark for Dortmund’s goals this season.

With all that in mind, the hope is that Sancho can quickly get up to speed to produce the sort of performance he showed after he came on for the last 30 minutes. Only then will Dortmund be able to keep up with the highly talented sides ahead of the table to secure a Champions League spot and be in a financial situation in which they can perhaps retain Sancho.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth and on Threads: @manuveth