The stats that show just how important Jadon Sancho is to Borussia Dortmund

Jadon Sancho has been pivotal to Borussia Dortmund’s push for a first Bundesliga title since 2012. We take a look at the stats behind his mesmerising run of form this season.

Jadon Sancho arrived at Borussia Dortmund as an unknown quantity back in 2017, but the potential was there to see, which is why Manchester City were so hesitant to see him leave. But he has outperformed all expectations and become one of the most influential players in the Dortmund squad, especially over the last couple of seasons.

This last season alone, the winger has put up some incredibly impressive numbers and, at times, almost carried the team on his back until the arrival of Erling Haaland in January. 14 goals and 15 assists in the Bundesliga would be impressive for any player over a full season but the Englishman accumulated these numbers in just 23 appearances before play was halted due to the coronavirus last month.

With stats like these, it is easy to forget that Sancho has only just turned 20. As a teenager, Sancho scored 31 goals and provided 42 assists, outperforming both Lionel Messi (26 goals and 6 assists) and Cristiano Ronaldo (16 goals and 16 assists).

Sancho has popped up with some important goals during the season including a winner over Freiburg while also being involved in three of the five goals Dortmund scored against Dusseldorf. The winger was also involved in two goals during a 3-3 draw against title competitors RB Leipzig in what could prove to be an important point come the end of the season.

Some of his other excellent displays include his man of the match performances in crucial games against Bayern Munich and Slavia Praha earlier in the season.

The Englishman leads the way on many fronts in the Dortmund squad as he is the top scorer and top assist maker. Along with these two important stats, his 2.6 successful dribbles per game just show how direct he is with the ball, which in turn causes opposition defenders numerous problems as he also possesses lightning speed. His ability to beat a man is only nearly matched by Achraf Hakimi who has 2.4 per game. He has dribbled past a league high 77 players in the Bundesliga alone.

In terms of his passing ability, nobody comes close to Sancho when creating goalscoring opportunities for his teammates, his 2.3 key passes per game are nowhere near matched by anybody else in the Dortmund side and his closest competitor is Thorgan Hazard who only accumulates 1.8 per game. Sancho also has an xG+xA of 0.71 per 90 minutes and averages 1.39 goal creating actions per 90 minutes, which is another league high in the Bundesliga.

The winger is phenomenal going forward and the stats back that up but he is also useful when defending, he ranks as one of the highest attackers for interceptions with 0.5 per game, and tackles won with 0.65 per game. His reading of the game is second to none and he has shown this defensively as well as attacking.

His versatility has also shone through for the side, adapting to play anywhere behind the striker whether that be on either wing or as an attacking midfielder in the no.10 role. He suits the fluidity of a Dortmund side and he would be sorely missed should a suitable offer be made in the summer.

The stats show that Sancho leads the way on four fronts in the attacking criteria and this depict just how important he is to Borussia Dortmund. His numbers from last season were mightily impressive, but he is on course to surpass them this season, with nine games still to go in the campaign.

Without his contribution to the side this season, it would have almost certainly have been a two-horse race between Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig and should the winger move on to pastures new in the next transfer window, the club will need to do everything they possibly can to find a suitable replacement. Stats from WhoScored.com and FBref.