For Borussia Dortmund, the home game against SC Freiburg was a game not to be forgotten. Edin Terzic's team easily won 3-0, partly thanks to two goals from Donyell Malen, and saw Mateu Morey make his return after more than a thousand days.

The 23-year-old Spaniard joined Dortmund in 2019, after coming from the youth academy of FC Barcelona. However, in four and a half years, Morey did not get further than thirty official matches in the main squad. Cause? Two lingering injuries.

Morey was first injured in May 2021 during a cup match against Holstein Kiel, only to end up in the rag basket again upon his return more than a year later.

Morey is again told that he will have to undergo rehabilitation for more than a year. On Friday evening, almost a year and a half after his second injury, the moment had arrived.

Morey was brought in two minutes before the end at 3-0 for Ian Maatsen, making his return to the Dortmund shirt after 1,015 days. It caused goosebumps in the Signal Iduna Park.

The substitute was the icing on the cake for trainer Terzic. The German coach saw his team deliver the best performance of 2024 so far. “We dominated the game from the start,” he added DAZN. “I thought we played very disciplined and mature.”

Malen, who equaled his goal production from last season, was also pleased. “We showed the right intensity and scored at the right times. Niclas Füllkrug and I complement each other well. You can see that we have taken a big step forward since the winter.”

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