Dortmund settle for top-4 battle

They just want to earn Champs League spot quickly but some players not giving up hope

Jadon Sancho (left) fighting for the ball with Sebastian Schonlau of Paderborn in Dortmund's 6-1 win. The 20-year-old Englishman, who was let go by Manchester City, netted his first hat-trick for the Bundesliga side. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Jadon Sancho (left) fighting for the ball with Sebastian Schonlau of Paderborn in Dortmund's 6-1 win. The 20-year-old Englishman, who was let go by Manchester City, netted his first hat-trick for the Bundesliga side. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

DORTMUND • Borussia Dortmund are still holding out hope that Bayern Munich will somehow slip up in the last five German Bundesliga games of the season.

It will be a tall order, not only do the Bavarian giants have a seven-point lead, but they have also lifted the trophy in the past seven years.

No team has wiped out such a big gap this late into the season and stumbling when the finishing line is in sight is not something that is associated with Bayern.

Michael Zorc, Dortmund sports director, admitted that the club's focus (they have 60 points) was now on securing Champions League qualification as soon as possible, with the other top-four contenders Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen (both 56 points) and RB Leipzig (55) too close for comfort.

He added: "It's clear that Bayern will be German champions at the end."

However, Dortmund's players still feel they can reel Bayern in, even though the title race is no longer in their hands.

Speaking after their 6-1 away rout of bottom side Paderborn on Sunday, during which Jadon Sancho scored his first treble for the club, Swiss goalkeeper Roman Burki said: "We're going to give everything to win every game."

The other three goals were by Thorgan Hazard, Achraf Hakimi and Marcel Schmelzer.

Dortmund have, on paper, an easier run-in - with the exception of a trip to Leipzig, they do not have to face a top-six side for the remainder of the season.

Two of those matches are also against relegation-threatened sides, Mainz and Dusseldorf.

Bayern, on the other hand, have successive games with Leverkusen and Monchengladbach, and a trip to sixth-placed Wolfsburg on the final day of the campaign.

And with forward Sancho on fire, teammate Axel Witsel feels they can pull off a miracle and break Bayern's hegemony.

On the first English player to record at least 15 goals and 15 assists in a single season in one of Europe's top five leagues since Matt le Tissier did so for Southampton in the English Premier League 25 years ago, he said: " He's one of the best of his generation.

"He still has a lot to improve, to progress, because he's really young. But I'm sure in his position, he will be one of the best."

Former Bayern midfielder Owen Hargreaves also believes the Premier League will come calling for the 20-year-old, who is expected to be one of the hottest commodities when the transfer window opens.

Of the £100 million (S$175.3 million) Sancho, who left Manchester City in August 2017 in search of more game time - he failed to appear in the top flight - the 39-year-old told Sky Sports: "He makes every team better, that's for sure. Everyone would love to have him.

"United, City, Liverpool, he's that good that he gets in all of them. He's a generational talent... He's going to cost a lot but he's worth it."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 02, 2020, with the headline Dortmund settle for top-4 battle. Subscribe