Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi shows growth and maturity in BVB’s win over Celtic

Borussia Dortmund’s 7-1 win was an emphatic result for Die Schwarzgelben in the Champions League, putting the club in a very good position both in terms of points, but also in terms of goal difference (10 goals for, 1 against) ahead of some of the stronger opponents they will face in the coming weeks and months. Dortmund’s standout performer in this absolute goal-fest was Karim Adeyemi, who put together a scintillating display that culminated in a very impressive hat trick for the German attacker.

Adeyemi’s performance, which very much propelled Dortmund to such a comfortable result, is the culmination of months of work on the player’s end to clean up his game and become a more clinical asset for his team. A few weeks back, we saw Adeyemi have a very good game against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga where he registered two goals and provided an assist to help his side to victory. After the game, Adeyemi was humble, stating that he needed to consistently show these sorts of performances before he accepted praise for his contributions, highlighting that he was aware of shortcomings that garnered criticism in seasons past.

Since that game, the player has absolutely strived to have a stronger presence on the pitch, and that doesn’t only relate to the goals, but his approach play and how those goals he’s scored have come about. In the win over Bochum last week, we saw Adeyemi change his approach play mid-game from running into the opposition defense with his head down and not looking to make a pass to then turning provider for his teammates in the second half to great effect. When Adeyemi decides to link his natural ability with strong decision-making, he can be an exceptional player.

In the game against Celtic, Adeyemi stepped it up a notch once again, not only scoring goals, but winning the ball back in promising positions, carrying it with purpose, and then either creating chances or finishing them himself clinically. It is these sorts of performances that will bring Adeyemi’s name out of the mire in which it has found itself on countless occasions on social media, where doubt and reactionary takes are of course the bread and butter of those analyzing the player's game, even during a season where he is stepping up and looking to make amends for the lackluster displays of campaigns past.

This ability to step up and change his fortunes started with the player's ability to put his head down and graft in the face of adversity. As discussed previously, the way Adeyemi reacted to his demotion to the German under-21s was a good signal that the player would be able and ready to bounce back stronger. Many players would take such a demotion as a slight, especially after having played for the senior national team. Adeyemi took it in stride and his performances for the under-21s helped build the foundation for what we are seeing today.

Despite his uptick in form, Adeyemi continues to remain humble. In an interview after the game at the Westfalenstadion, Adeyemi highlighted that he is aware that in seasons past his best performances were isolated to the second half of the campaign and sporadic at that, but that he intends to keep his foot on the gas now and think about goal contributions later:

"The first rounds were not always great for me. Now it's different, and I'm now trying to help the team not only in the second round, but also in the first round. That's why I don't want to rest on it…How many assists and goals I have: We can talk about it again at the end of the season."

- Karim Adeyemi

The expectation is of course not for Adeyemi to score hat tricks in subsequent games. While having him score at the current rate would be a nice boon for the squad, the reality is performances where he continues to play with intensity, creates chances and sprinkles in a similar level of clinical finishing will only see his productivity skyrocket.

The goal that the player should be striving for is to be a more well-rounded player capable of contributing with a multi-dimensional play style. If things continue to go in this vein for Adeyemi, we can safely say that the player is heading in the right direction and that his importance in this Dortmund starting eleven will only continue to grow along with his overall game.