Jadon Sancho’s five best performances for Borussia Dortmund
By Adam Bakr
Number Three: vs Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga 17/18 season)
Match-day 31 against Bayer Leverkusen was the first time Jadon Sancho took over a Bundesliga game and showed just what he is capable of. At this point, he had only had three starts for Borussia Dortmund and had already gotten one assist to his name.
In a game of many firsts, Jadon Sancho opened the scoring with his first goal for Borussia Dortmund, and it came in front of the Yellow Wall. Christian Pulisic found Sancho running into the box, thanks to a touch of luck as Benjamin Henrichs slipped while trying to intercept the pass. The then 18 year-old took advantage of the time and rolled it into the back post. From the celebration you could tell what the moment meant to him.
With Dortmund up 2-0, Sancho took over in the second half. For the first of his two assists, he perfectly brought down Manuel Akanji’s long ball into his stride with an excellent first touch before finding Maximilian Philipp in the box to make it 3-0. It was only his second assist for Borussia Dortmund, but no doubt one of the very best.
His second assist of the game was a well weighted cross to the back post. After being given space and time on the left wing, Sancho brought the ball onto his right foot and lofted it to Marco Reus who peeled off of his marker and headed home to make it 4-0. It was the first time Reus and Sancho combined for a goal, something that would become a common sight in the seasons to come.
Sancho’s production in this match speaks for itself, but the sentiment of it being his first masterclass further adds to this game’s appeal.