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Borussia Dortmund 4-2 Union Berlin: Key Takeaways

By Brian Szlenk Straub

DORTMUND, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 19: Players of Dortmund celebrate their 4-2 victory after the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and 1. FC Union Berlin at Signal Iduna Park on September 19, 2021 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
DORTMUND, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 19: Players of Dortmund celebrate their 4-2 victory after the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and 1. FC Union Berlin at Signal Iduna Park on September 19, 2021 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images) /
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Dortmund’s Norwegian forward Erling Braut Haaland (R) celebrates with Dortmund’s Dutch forward Donyell Malen after scoring the 2-0 during the German first division Bundesliga football match Borussia Dortmund vs FC Union Berlin on September 19, 2021 in Dortmund, western Germany. – (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)
Dortmund’s Norwegian forward Erling Braut Haaland (R) celebrates with Dortmund’s Dutch forward Donyell Malen after scoring the 2-0 during the German first division Bundesliga football match Borussia Dortmund vs FC Union Berlin on September 19, 2021 in Dortmund, western Germany. – (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images) /

Donyell Malen’s influence in games continues to grow

When Donyell Malen signed for Borussia Dortmund, many expected the Dutchman to hit the ground running far faster than he has this season. Malen’s statistics for PSV were rather prolific, with the player scoring 19 and assisting eight in the Dutch Eredivisie last season. Of course, there is the small fact of adjusting to a new league with a higher level of intensity to take into account.

While Malen has yet to score in Dortmund colors, each game seems to bring him a step closer in terms of confidence and reaching that first milestone with the club. His runs are becoming ever more dangerous and he is linking up with his teammates more comfortably as the games go by. The team’s prerogative is of course to feed Erling Haaland and make sure he has ample chances to put the ball in the net, but Malen has made quite a few intelligent runs to stretch the game and created several opportunities that make him an asset on the pitch even if he isn’t on the score sheet.

That being said, it also feels like every game is a bit of an anxious watch in terms of Malen’s game. Both his movement and the overall intelligence he shows on the pitch are signs of a brighter future with the club – he simply just needs to get that first goal. The first strike will be a turning point for Malen in my book; a turning point that will allow us to see the full caliber of the Dutchman.

Final thoughts

With Borussia Dortmund’s busy schedule continuing into the coming weeks, Marco Rose and his squad don’t have much time to take a breath. There are a number of problems defensively that need solving, but the players do seem to both enjoy playing under Rose and trust his judgement, so the more they buy into and adjust to his style of play, the easier it will be for them to execute his match plans and hopefully steady the back end of the ship.

Borussia Dortmund’s next game will be an away clash against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Marco Rose’s former side. The game looks to be an interesting affair as Gladbach haven’t been in the best of forms since the start of the season, but both sides will have a very good reason to want to secure all three points.

Next. Borussia Dortmund player ratings from 4-2 win over Union Berlin. dark

Marco Rose’s move to Dortmund was controversial in the eyes of Gladbach fans, who will hope that their side can come back to haunt their former manager. Rose and his new charges will also surely hope to continue to maintain pace with the leading pack and put down any hopes of a Gladbach resurgence, at least for the weekend.