February 21, (THEWILL) – Dortmund needed to refocus their minds after a midweek 4-2 blunder against Glasgow Rangers in the UEFA Europa League. And, on Sunday, Dortmund retaliated against a faltering Monchengladbach team by slamming six goals past Yann Sommer.
A talismanic performance from captain Marco Reus was vital in the effort’s success. The skipper took the lead early on, demonstrating perseverance and calmness by burying a rebound from Donyell Malen’s first goal attempt.
When Gregor Kobel came out to knock the ball clear from an in-swinging Gladbach corner, Reus rose to meet it. Kobel inadvertently caught a lot of the skipper, who collapsed. But, Reus got to his feet after several minutes on the ground and battled it out until halftime.
The captain was determined not to leave his team stranded for the second half after seeing Gio Reyna and Dan-Axel Zagadou retire due to injury.
Therefore, after the break, Reus returned to the pitch, hungry for more. The effort of the former Monchengladbach man as a provider was rounded off with two assists to Marius Wolf and Youssouffa Moukoko, and he turned finisher once more before the match was over.
When the captain was found with an incisive through ball, Reus and Hummels rolled back the years and spit the Gladbach defence apart. Reus grabbed the ball, dashed down the field, and slammed his second goal into the net. Emre Can completed the rout with a late penalty.
Reus’s tenacity and commitment restored his place as captain of this squad, which had begun to be questioned following the lacklustre performance against Rangers in their loss in the first leg of their European fixture.
Reus had faced the naysayers through every good and terrible performance this season by responding on the pitch, logging the second-most minutes behind Gregor Kobel. The captain demonstrated tonight that he had it in him to take criticism in stride, leading his team to a season-high score and a clean sheet.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
