This is How Jadon SANCHO Become a MONSTER at Dortmung AGAIN 😱
Jadon Sancho humiliated PSG in the Champions League semi-final and now he's a different beast with Borussia Dortmund! What unique achievement of Lionel Messi did the Englishman replicate? What is the real reason why he became so great after leaving Man United? And will he have a big comeback at Old Trafford? We will answer all the questions here and now!
Jadon Sancho against PSG
Jadon Sancho's performance in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals against PSG was a real sensation! In the match against the Parisians, the winger smashed all the key metrics: 88% passing accuracy, 13 duels won - more than anyone else in the match, 3 chances created - more than anyone else, 11 touches of the ball inside the opposition box - more than anyone else on the pitch, and 12 successful take-ons - also an absolutely best record in the game!
In one evening, Sancho collected two "achievements" at once: he became the first Englishman to make more than 11 take-ons in one Champions League game, and he became the first player in the last 8 seasons to make 10+ take-ons in a UCL semifinal game!
It's been a whole sixteen years since the last time a player made more take-ons in a semi-final, and that person was Lionel Messi in a match against Manchester United in the 2007/08 season.
Against PSG, Sancho was especially cruel to the French team's left back Nuno Mendes! Jadon constantly loaded his flank and beat the opponent at will! An assist or a goal was the only thing the Englishman lacked, but thanks to his efforts, Borussia won the first match 1-0, and that's what matters most to Sancho.
He still received his compliments after the final whistle! Borussia Dortmund's SMM left a brilliant comment in a post on the club's Twitter account: "You all owe him an apology, we were always familiar with his game."
Legendary former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand echoed the sentiment:
«Sancho was shaking and baking top players. He's putting people on the floor. He was making people dance. It was a joke what he did today. We haven't seen this since he was last at Dortmund.
What I saw today was cage-football Sancho. With that swagger and arrogance, we haven't seen that at United».
Former midfielder and Ferdinand's teammate Owen Hargreaves was also impressed by the Dortmund winger's performance:
«Jadon answered a lot of questions today. You might criticise that he is not consistent, but that today, he outperformed every single player on that pitch and there are world class, the best players in the world out there some of them.
In the Champions League semi-final, the shirt is heavy no matter what team you’re playing for. That deserves all praise, any haters out there can hate.
He outperformed the best player in the world today in Kylian Mbappe. That deserves a lot of praise. Super impressive», - Hargreaves emphasized.
And the greatest forward in Arsenal's history, Thierry Henry, noted that Sancho successfully overcomes mental problems:
«We all know that he struggled mentally at Manchester United. When you’re not well in the mind, or at home, or whatever it is, you cannot perform.
Don’t underestimate that. Mental health is not an easy thing to deal with and you can see that when someone is well up there then they can perform, so well done, big man».
But what is the real reason for Jadon's rebirth and what drives him after his return to Borussia?
The second coming of Sancho to Borussia D
The backstory is known: Jadon Sancho was not being himself at Manchester United. He played 44 matches under Erik Ten Hag, scoring only 7 goals and providing 3 assists. The pressure of an 85 million euro price tag, poor play and stats - these three factors turned Sancho into an object of attack from a large army of United fans, and later from Ten Hag himself...
In September last year, the coach publicly questioned Jadon's desire to give his best in training. The footballer was offended and said on social media that Ten Hag was making him a "scapegoat".
After that, Sancho never made the lineup again and refused to apologize to his coach, so in the winter, the winger returned to Borussia Dortmund, who loaned him for six months for 4 million euros.
Statistically, Sancho hasn't done anything remarkable in half a season - he has played 17 matches for the Bumblebees, scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists. However, Jadon's passion for the game has returned and now he steps up at the most important moments, which is immediately accompanied by some kind of record!
Recently, after a goal against Leipzig, Sancho reached 40 goals in the Bundesliga and became the highest scoring Englishman in the history of the tournament, surpassing Tony Woodcock, who played for Köln and scored 39 goals!