Commitment and Leadership: Emre Can can be the key in Borussia Dortmund’s push for Champions League qualification

Emre Can could have a key role to play in the second half of the season

Fast forward to the current season and there have been many ups and downs for Borussia Dortmund and Can himself has not been spared either with fluctuating results and being played off the bench. In October, Can tested positive for Covid-19 and had to spend ten days in quarantine. His return to action has been slow and gradual. He has started four of the last five matches from the bench but has still managed to make an impact.

"Interim BVB coach Edin Terzic stressed this: “I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to praise Emre Can in front of the whole group. He is a leader in the dressing room and embodies that both on and off the pitch, and it’s vital that all players make the responsibility of leadership their own at this club”."

A commitment the Frankfurt-born player has made not just in words but also in deeds. As a substitute in the first match of 2021 against Wolfsburg, Can set up Sancho’s goal with a millimeter-precise pass. In the stunning unexpected 3-1 away win against Leipzig, Can came on in the 30th minute for Axel Witsel.

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During the hour he was on the pitch, Borussia’s performance went up several notches. This was partly due to Can’s outstanding performance in midfield and his ability to put pressure on the opponent and support the attack. With Witsel’s long-term injury, this will likely be a recurring necessity for the season.

Can’s impact is also visible when taking a quick look at his numbers for the season. Only one player has a higher successful pressure percentage than the Borussia Dortmund midfielder this season (44.3%). There are few players better than him in the league at winning the ball back. The fact that he has won 75% of his tackles and 73.2% of his duels further illustrates just how vital he is in midfield. His attacking contributions are also better than ever, as Can is averaging 2.32 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes this season (stats via FBref).

Overall, Can has made 34 appearances and scored 3 goals in the past year at Borussia Dortmund. This is the same amount of appearances he made in eighteen months with Juventus and that whist maintaining his place in Joachim Löw’s Germany squad.

With that level of performance and his versatility Emre Can has proven he can be a critically decisive player for Borussia Dortmund in the second half of the 20-21 season now that the opportunity has been missed to reinforce the midfield or the defence in the January transfer window.