Borussia Dortmund defender Joane Gadou is ecstatic after scoring his first goal for the club as the Frenchman was on target against Arsenal in their Emirates Cup win on Sunday.
Signed on a €19.5 million transfer from Red Bull Salzburg, Gadou has actively participated in the preseason so far while also giving a good account of himself.
On Sunday, the defender bagged his maiden strike for Dortmund after chesting the ball down inside the box and unleashing a powerful strike to make it 3-1 for the BVB.
After the match, Gadou opened up on his goal as the Frenchman was content to have found the back of the net as a defender. Addressing the press, he said:
"“I’m really happy about my first goal for BVB. The lads were really happy for me. I’m a defender and I don’t always score goals. So it’s always nice for a defender to score a goal.""
Starting on the right side of a three-man defense, Gadou turned in a solid display for Dortmund. His game-reading ability was second to none while competing fiercely for the ball as the 19-year-old made two interceptions, three clearances and three recoveries as well as winning all four ground duels.
The highlight of his match though, was the sweet finish in the 58th minute that helped the BVB restore their two-goal advantage. Just four minutes on from Ethan Nwaneri pulling one back for the Gunners, Dortmund won a corner which Inacio sent inside the box.
A tussle ensued near the byline before Fabio Silva flicked it over for Gadou to control it with his chest and then fire home which Kai Havertz attempted to clear on the line, but inadvertently shot it into the roof of the net as Dortmund led 3-1 in the game.
Arsenal reduced the deficit once more in the 69th minute as Viktor Gyokeres struck a penalty after Kaua Prates, another Dortmund debutant on the day, brought down Christos Tzolis inside the box with a mistimed challenge.
The Premier League champions thought to have equalized in the dying seconds when Gabriel Martinelli had the ball in the back of the net after playing a corner short but the Brazilian was adjuged to have been offside in the build-up.
Gadou was also satisfied with the way his team played on the day although admitting that there's still room for improvement.
""We played well today. Of course, we can always improve, but we’re on the right track.”"
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