BORUSSIA DORTMUND ARE top of the Bundesliga for the first time since September 2013 and a former Manchester United flop has been central to their renaissance.
At the weekend, the Bundesliga side racked up a 4-0 win over Ingolstadt but had to wait until the 55th-minute to open the scoring. Mattias Ginter and a penalty from Marco Reus put Dortmund in control before Shinji Kagawa added a third and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang completed things.
Afterwards, boss Thomas Tuchel – who has taken over from Jurgen Klopp – made special mention of Kagawa’s performance.
I’m delighted for him as he really deserved it. He worked incredibly hard in the second half, created a lot and set the tone time and time again.”
Sunday’s result followed Dortmund’s remarkable Europa League recovery just a few days before.
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Taking on Norwegian side Odd, they found themselves 3-0 down after 22 minutes. But two goals from Aubamayeng and one each from Henrik Mkhitaryan and Kagawa ensured a superb comeback a 4-3 win for the Germans. Kagawa also grabbed an assist and has started the season incredibly brightly – in total contrast to last term when he scored just once in his first 17 league appearances.
Many had questioned whether Kagawa had a future at Dortmund after a litany of ineffectual displays in what was a traumatic campaign for all involved in the club. There was even a missed penalty in an Asian Cup quarter-final against United Arab Emirates back in January that seemed to epitomise his struggles.
But under Dortmund’s new coach, Kagawa is playing in his favoured central position as Tuchel has elected to play Aubamayeng on his own up-front and switch Mkhitaryan to the flank.
The move has worked wonders. The Armenian has endured a difficult spell at the club since arriving from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013. Last term, he suffered a number of injuries and couldn’t exert much of an influence.
After a relatively encouraging debut season at Manchester United, Kagawa rapidly faded under David Moyes. Stephen Pond / EMPICS Sport
Stephen Pond / EMPICS Sport / EMPICS Sport
But, he’s started the season brilliantly with a hat-trick in the European qualifier against Wolfsberg and the go-ahead goal against Odd. There was a brace against Monchengladbach on the opening day of the league season too.
So, Tuchel’s decision to allow Kagawa some freedom in the middle of the park is paying dividends so far.
A long way from those dark days at Old Trafford under David Moyes.
A Manchester United flop is bossing things in Germany again
BORUSSIA DORTMUND ARE top of the Bundesliga for the first time since September 2013 and a former Manchester United flop has been central to their renaissance.
At the weekend, the Bundesliga side racked up a 4-0 win over Ingolstadt but had to wait until the 55th-minute to open the scoring. Mattias Ginter and a penalty from Marco Reus put Dortmund in control before Shinji Kagawa added a third and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang completed things.
Afterwards, boss Thomas Tuchel – who has taken over from Jurgen Klopp – made special mention of Kagawa’s performance.
Sunday’s result followed Dortmund’s remarkable Europa League recovery just a few days before.
Taking on Norwegian side Odd, they found themselves 3-0 down after 22 minutes. But two goals from Aubamayeng and one each from Henrik Mkhitaryan and Kagawa ensured a superb comeback a 4-3 win for the Germans. Kagawa also grabbed an assist and has started the season incredibly brightly – in total contrast to last term when he scored just once in his first 17 league appearances.
His eye-catching form comes at an important time.
Many had questioned whether Kagawa had a future at Dortmund after a litany of ineffectual displays in what was a traumatic campaign for all involved in the club. There was even a missed penalty in an Asian Cup quarter-final against United Arab Emirates back in January that seemed to epitomise his struggles.
But under Dortmund’s new coach, Kagawa is playing in his favoured central position as Tuchel has elected to play Aubamayeng on his own up-front and switch Mkhitaryan to the flank.
The move has worked wonders. The Armenian has endured a difficult spell at the club since arriving from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013. Last term, he suffered a number of injuries and couldn’t exert much of an influence.
But, he’s started the season brilliantly with a hat-trick in the European qualifier against Wolfsberg and the go-ahead goal against Odd. There was a brace against Monchengladbach on the opening day of the league season too.
So, Tuchel’s decision to allow Kagawa some freedom in the middle of the park is paying dividends so far.
A long way from those dark days at Old Trafford under David Moyes.
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Bundesliga kick in the shin shinji kagawa Borussia Dortmund Manchester United thomas tuchel