Unchained Malen uses Freiburg as a plaything and equals production of 22/23

It was Donyell Malen night in the Bundesliga on Friday. The Dutchman, who possibly played his best game of this season, almost personally ensured that Borussia Dortmund defeated SC Freiburg 3-0 with a double. Niclas Füllkrug provided the final chord. Dortmund keeps the pressure on number three VfB Stuttgart, which just like BVB has forty points.

Dortmund coach Edin Terzic once again had a choice regarding his starting eleven. Gregor Kobel, Julian Ryerson, Marco Reus, Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt all returned after injuries, with only Adeyemi and Brandt initially having to keep the bench warm at Signal Iduna Park.

Who did start in the starting line-up was Malen, who only needed fifteen minutes to make his mark. The Dutch international was given too much space after a pass from Niclas Füllkrug, and was able to press hard and high past Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu: 1-0.

It was Malen's eighth this Bundesliga season and a nice start for Dortmund. And also one of the few highlights in the first half: both the home team and the Freiburg visitors were not very clever in an attacking sense.

Until just before half time, when Malen struck for the second time. Füllkrug came out of his own half to serve his attacking partner, who shot past Atubolu with a cross-low shot: 2-0. In short: Malen's ninth, with which he has already equaled his production of last year.

Dortmund was on a roll and could quietly sit back against lame Freiburg. In the second half Malen had the chance for the hat trick. On the edge of the sixteen-meter area he was able to calmly build, but he aimed over the goal. Ian Maatsen, a starter just like Malen, had less luck with a shot on the post.

Freiburg had to, and started giving away more and more space. However, with Malen as conductor, Dortmund failed to complete the job. Malen offered Reus and Füllkrug open scoring opportunities, before the latter appeared in the statistics. The German headed home from the aftermath of a corner.

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