Dortmund's soccer team, Borussia, is emulating the elite club, Real Madrid.
In the inaugural game of the current Champions League, previous year's runner-up Borussia Dortmund demonstrates its expertise in Bruges. The 3-0 (0-0) scoreline seems a tad excessive. Dortmund can bank on someone who put in the effort toward this achievement during the summer. "Unstoppable," is the consensus.
During the summer, Jamie Gittens had ample time up his sleeve. He shed his dual name and worked intensely with his personal coach on the pitch. Time and again, he drifted in from the left flank into the penalty area, took a moment to survey the situation, and scored. As the new season kicked off, Borussia Dortmund had bid farewell to Jadon Sancho on the wing, and the 20-year-old slotted in nicely, replacing Eintracht Frankfurt in their first Bundesliga outing of the season.
Soon after taking the field as a substitute, he sent the ball into the far corner and wrapped up a late counterattack for Dortmund's 2-0 triumph. It happened all over again as the new Bundesliga standout substitute. Twice he danced with the defense, even teasing them to score, and then rejoiced with his teammates.
Meanwhile, the Belgians fell into a rage. The dance around the ball is one of football's predictable tricks. It's a move that drives opponents to despair because, while predictable, it's almost indefensible when executed flawlessly. Earlier generations of Bundesliga defenders will forever remember Arjen Robben and his sprint from the right flank to the center of the penalty area with dread. That's where Gittens aims to go, that's every player's dream. The 20-year-old Englishman is still miles away, but he's undoubtedly set off on that journey and garnering national and international recognition in the early days of the 2024/2025 season.
Jamie Gittens revels in success, Marcel Sabitzer does not
"When Jamie steps onto the field at age 16, he's simply unstoppable," observed Borussia Dortmund's sporting director Sebastian Kehl. Perhaps he was already assessing the offers that would flow in for such a consistently capable player. Being a young talent at Dortmund has always meant having the potential to join the elite ranks of international football. The role models Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham are still fresh in Dortmund's minds. But of course, a club must continually fortify its reputation. With Gittens, it might just be possible. But that was just a thought bubbling beneath the surface on this 18th of September 2024. The season and the new Dortmund team are still in the exploration phase. There's lots of time left for such season-ending scenarios.
"It was a good day, we won, and I'm very satisfied," said Gittens, clutching the Player of the Match trophy. He might display it in his living room, it's a fitting prize. One he'd worked hard for. "I come onto the pitch, aim to have fun, and strive to leave my mark on the game," he explained. It took him less than ten minutes after his substitution for Marcel Sabitzer to take center stage. Sabitzer, however, hadn't found enjoyment on the pitch beforehand.
Sahin had again deployed him on the offensive wing position, aiming to maintain control over Maxim de Cuyper, Bruges' offensively potent left-back. "The six is better," said the Austrian after the game. The wing isn't his "ideal position," but ultimately, the coach has the final say. "It's something to respect," he stated succinctly. "There are scenarios where we need him in other positions," said Sahin, offering comfort to his player: "He will also play numerous games in the six." These were the sole downbeat moments from that first Champions League night of the season for Dortmund.
Bruges discovers solutions, Dortmund waits
Borussia had been patient. For quite some time, Dortmund's team had been running up against Bruges' deep-set block with plenty of possession, only to bounce off it. For quite some time, Dortmund's team had to endure threatening counterattacks. Even after the substitutions of Gittens and Felix Nmecha, who replaced Pascal Groß in the second half, Dortmund seemed to have lost control of the game. "The game was a bit sluggish, and we didn't find many solutions in the final third. We had a lot of possession, but we weren't great at pressuring the counterattack," said captain Emre Can after the game. "That needs to improve. It wasn't all good, but we take the three points, and that's what matters."
Only after the substitutions in the 68th minute did Dortmund regain control. Ten minutes earlier, coach Nuri Sahin had already made changes, bringing on Serhou Guirassy, who scored the opening goal with a late penalty, and Waldemar Anton for Ramy Bensebaini. It wasn't enough. Also because the 23-year-old midfielder Raphael Onyedika kept finding quick solutions whenever Dortmund lost the ball. The Belgians kept getting to the right attacking side with quick exchanges, but they kept failing. The longer the first Champions League game went on, the more paradoxically secure the victory of the away team from Westphalia came to appear.
Similar to their global renown, Borussia Dortmund kept the home team anticipating an unexpected triumph for a substantial portion of the game. This recalls last year's encounter between Real Madrid, champions of La Liga, and Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart, where the previous champions, although at a significantly lower level, could rely on their wealth of experience from numerous European evenings.
The defeated side, led by goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, was left echoing the customary phrases in such situations. The former Liverpool keeper, having returned to his native Belgium in 2019, acknowledged, "We played well. Up until the 75th minute, we were in control, we had numerous opportunities. If we'd scored at the right moment, we'd have won here. Unfortunately, they scored from a deflected shot. The 0:3 is excessive. We don't deserve that. We put up a good show." A performance that may not linger in memory for long in Bruges. This is a common occurrence in the early stages of a Champions League season, regardless of the new format featuring a massive 36-team table.
Julian Brandt discusses scoring at opportune moments
The visiting team clinched the points and are now setting their sights on renovation. They will face VfB Stuttgart at the weekend, who demonstrated during their match against Real Madrid that they could hold their own against the European football titan for an extended period. Many teams have had similar experiences. Consider, for instance, Union Berlin, RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich, and Dortmund themselves, all of whom faced similar challenges last year. In a sense, Bruges was no exception.
Indeed, the focus of the game was more about how Dortmund would secure the victory than whether they would secure the three points for Dortmund. "It's not just about the first 45 minutes, but the full 90 to score goals. Sometimes, patience is required. It was tough, but we managed it today," explained midfielder Julian Brandt, maintaining the composure of a victor, on DAZN.
What sets us apart is that we scored the goals from the bench. Much like our encounter against Frankfurt, it was the substitutes who influenced the outcome. However, goals can also be scored late in the game," Brandt added. Much like our victory against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, it was Jamie Gittens, now shed of his double-barrelled name in the off-season, who eased Dortmund's worries over a struggling star in the Champions League. Our training paid off.
Despite his recent success with Borussia Dortmund, Jamie Gittens acknowledges the importance of continuing to work hard and enjoy playing the beautiful game. On the other hand, midfielder Marcel Sabitzer struggled to find enjoyment on the offensive wing, expressing his preference for a different position.
As the substitute, Gittens consistently showed his soccer skills, drifting into the penalty area, surveying the situation, and scoring. Meanwhile, Dortmund's previous Champions League game against Brugges was a challenging one, with the team struggling to break through Brugges' defensive line and create scoring opportunities until Gittens' entrance as a substitute.
