Achraf Hakimi’s five best performances for Borussia Dortmund
By Adam Bakr
Number Five: vs Hannover (Bundesliga, 2018/19 season)
Borussia Dortmund’s 5-1 win over Hannover 96 gave Achraf Hakimi a chance to further show his versatility. Starting as a left back at this point in the season, he was heavily involved in the emphatic win.
Hakimi opened the scoring for Dortmund in the 24th minute with a cracking finish from the edge of the box. Coming in from the left, he played a lovely give and go with Raphael Guerreiro to get in the box, before finding the far corner with a well placed strike. His control cutting into the box was more like a winger than a full-back. It was his second goal of the season.
At the start of the second half, Hakimi was involved again as Dortmund doubled their lead. After dispossessing Miiko Albornoz with great pressing in the Hannover box, Hakimi set up Marco Reus. It was a great play, with Hakimi waiting for the keeper to commit, before Reus calmly dinked it over the pressuring defender.
Hakimi was not statistically involved in the third goal, but still played his part. With Jadon Sancho driving down the middle, Hakimi made an overlapping run into the box. He did not get on the ball, but the attention to him made Sancho’s efforts to cut in a lot easier, and allowed the Englishman to tee up Mario Götze who made it 3-0.
It was a great attacking display from someone who lined up as a defender. Hakimi finished the game with a goal and an assist to his name.