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Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Hoffenheim: Three takeaways from frustrating draw

By Tushar Bahl

DORTMUND, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 13: Ihlas Bebou of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim scores his team's second goal past Marwin Hitz of Borussia Dortmund during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and TSG Hoffenheim at Signal Iduna Park on February 13, 2021 in Dortmund, Germany. Sporting stadiums around Germany remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
DORTMUND, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 13: Ihlas Bebou of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim scores his team's second goal past Marwin Hitz of Borussia Dortmund during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and TSG Hoffenheim at Signal Iduna Park on February 13, 2021 in Dortmund, Germany. Sporting stadiums around Germany remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) /
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Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland were the Borussia Dortmund goal scorers once again on Saturday  (Photo by LEON KUEGELER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland were the Borussia Dortmund goal scorers once again on Saturday  (Photo by LEON KUEGELER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

Borussia Dortmund are over-reliant on Sancho and Haaland – Marco Reus, Gio Reyna and Julian Brandt need to step up

Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland were on the scoresheet yet again for Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. The duo have been BVB’s only consistent attacking players so far this season.

Sancho has nine goals and 13 assists to his name, while Haaland has 23 goals and six assists. No other Borussia Dortmund player has reached the five goal mark for the season yet, with Marco Reus, Gio Reyna and Mats Hummels tied at four each.

Reyna has now gone ten straight appearances without a goal or an assist, while Reus hasn’t scored since December. And Julian Brandt, who has been a regular in the team since the turn of the year, only has two goals and one assist to his name in 30 appearances this season.

The trio’s form is a very worrying sign for Borussia Dortmund, who have become over-reliant on Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland. It is understandable to an extent, since Haaland and Sancho are the team’s most talented attacking players. But to expect them to combine for at least three goals in every game is asking way too much from two players who are still only 20. When Haaland and Sancho aren’t on their game, Dortmund’s attack can sometimes look like a group of strangers playing together for the first time.

Luckily, Thorgan Hazard is returning soon. And he will at least provide some sort of consistency and directness to the attack. Hopefully, the competition for places will also push Reus, Reyna and Brandt to return to their best as we head into the business end of the season.