Marco Rose: Donyell Malen has “set the benchmark” for his performances going forward
Donyell Malen scored his first Bundesliga goal for Borussia Dortmund against VFB Stuttgart on Saturday, prompting praise from head coach Marco Rose.
The moment many Borussia Dortmund fans had been waiting for finally arrived on Saturday, as Donyell Malen scored his first Bundesliga goal for the club. Brought in to help replace the attacking threat posed by Jadon Sancho, Malen’s slow start to life in Dortmund has been a worry for many, particularly since Erling Haaland’s injury.
For weeks now, the weight of picking up the slack in the absence of the Norwegian international has fallen squarely on the shoulders of Dortmund’s other attacking players. Malen’s form, while at times showing some promise, was not at the level the club needed him to be at.
The Dutch international has so far put in some high energy performances, but has found goals very hard to come by. His only other strike for the club came in the Champions League against Sporting Lisbon.
Marco Rose and Borussia Dortmund have been very patient with Malen, stating that they are well aware of his talent and what he is capable of on the pitch. For Rose in particular, Malen has set the standard with this weekend’s performance:
“Donny was very active without the ball and with the ball, he invested a lot. That’s the most important thing. That was a benchmark for Donny today.”
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While this performance alone can’t be considered a complete turn in fortunes for Malen, it is a sign of progress and effort on behalf of the player himself. As as been noted in the past, Marco Rose has called for a change in mindset for Malen as the primary ingredient in any recipe capable of improving the Dutch international’s output for his side. Malen is clearly putting in the work needed to turn the ship around in order to become a productive member of the team capable of shouldering the burden going forward. As he continues to perform, there is no telling just how far his confidence may carry him.