Borussia Dortmund returned to winning ways in the Bundesliga in brutal fashion, hammering Freiburg 4-0 at a bouncing Signal Iduna Park on Sunday.
Maximilian Beier, Serhou Guirassy, Ramy Bensebaini and Fabio Silva all got on the scoresheet as the Black and Yellows produced a statement performance in front of a thronging home crowd for their 1000th game at the famous old ground.
The win lifts Dortmund to 67 points from 31 games, solidifying second place and officially securing Champions League football for next season. Job done and done in style.
Coming into this one off the back of two straight wins, Freiburg were meant to provide a proper test. Instead, they looked absolutely flat. Toothless. A shadow of the side that snatched a late equaliser against Dortmund earlier in the season.
This time there was no such luck. The Breisgau Brasilianer slumped to their 12th defeat of the campaign and frankly, it could have been more.
DORTMUND BACK IN THEIR ELEMENT AND HOW
Niko Kovac’s side had been flying, four league wins on the bounce before back to back defeats suddenly put their season on rocky ground.
Bayern had already wrapped up the title. Dortmund’s already slim hopes of a miracle had been extinguished. Even Champions League qualification wasn’t mathematically sealed.
But Sunday felt like an exorcism. Dortmund were dominant, menacing, feisty. They took the game by the scruff of the neck and scored THREE times in the first half alone.
Remarkably, it was only the second time this Bundesliga season that Kovac’s men had led 3-0 at the break. The first? Against Mainz back on February 3.
The tempo dropped after the interval, understandable, given the damage was already done. But there was still time for one more. Fabio Silva volleyed home into the bottom right corner, evading a handful of Freiburg shirts in the build up. Gorgeous finish.
SAMUELE INACIO SHINES ON LONG AWAITED DEBUT
He’d been waiting on the wings. Watching. Waiting. On Sunday, Kovac finally unleashed Samuele Inacio and the young gun did not disappoint.
Operating just behind striker Serhou Guirassy, Inacio showed exactly why he’s so highly rated. His directness, pace and tenacity caused Freiburg nightmares all afternoon.
He helped carve open the second goal with brilliant movement, capped off by a sublime pass to Julian Brandt. Then came agonisingly close to bagging one himself in the 60th minute.
In his first league start of the season, Inacio created three chances, completed 93% of his passes, won 100% of his aerial duels and whipped in two successful crosses.
The Yellow Wall will be desperate to see more of him between now and the end of the season.
RYERSON EYES CLUB RECORD AFTER ANOTHER ASSIST
Julian Ryerson, the Premier League’s loss, Dortmund’s gain, was back to his creative best on Sunday. Another pinpoint corner, another headed finish from Bensebaini.
That was assist No.13 for the season for the Norwegian full back.
He’s now just ONE behind Jadon Sancho’s club record of 14 assists in a single Bundesliga campaign for Dortmund. Three games remaining. You wouldn’t bet against him.
Ryerson has had a phenomenal season, establishing himself as one of the most dangerous attacking full backs in Europe and he’s not done yet.