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September 14, 2024

The “Adeyemi Show” Continues As Dortmund Delivers Heidenheim Their First Defeat – Bundesliga 

Borussia Dortmund will spend Friday night atop the Bundesliga table after defeating the former league leaders, 1. FC Heidenheim, in the 2024/25 season opener.

BVB forward Karim Adeyemi, after a standout international break with the German U21s, has now netted seven goals in his last three matches in all competitions.

Karim Adeyemi, a four-time capped German international, is experiencing a resurgence as the 22-year-old helped Borussia Dortmund hand 1. FC Heidenheim their first loss in six competitive matches of the 2024/25 season. After scoring a brace and a hat trick for the national team during the international break, Adeyemi added another brace for the club in Dortmund’s 4-2 victory over Heidenheim in Friday night’s Bundesliga opener. The Munich native contributed to three of BVB’s goals, also providing an assist in front of the Signal Iduna Park crowd.

Sahin made five changes to the lineup that could only secure a goalless draw against Werder Bremen in the last league match before the international break. Summer signing Serhou Guirassy was deemed fit enough to make his BVB debut, starting in place of Maximillian Beier. The other four changes included Adeyemi, Felix Nmecha, Donyell Malen, and Ramy Bensebaini coming in for Emré Can, Jamie Gittens, Marcel Sabitzer, and the suspended Nico Schlotterbeck.

Sahin’s tactics saw the 3-4-3 in use since the Pokal shift to a 4-2-3-1. Bensebaini and Julian Ryerson bookended Sahin’s very first starting back-four. Julian Brandt served as a ten flanked by Malen and Adeyemi behind Guirassy. Nmecha paired with Pascal Groß in midfield in his starting debut for his new coach. FCH trainer Schmidt – following the 4-0 victory over Augsburg in the last league round – naturally didn’t see a reason to change anything and rolled out the same XI.

A bright start from the Westphalian hosts translated into a relatively quick opening goal. Adeyemi collected the assist following a sharp setup of Malen in the penalty area after Groß skillfully played the Germany U21 star through on the left in the 12th. Some five minutes later, it was Adeyemi himself who would double the advantage. Ryerson and Malen did well to get the ball up the pitch rapidly on a 17th-minute counter. Adeyemi punched home the 2-0 with his weaker right foot after a lovely square from Brandt.

Schmidt’s Albogeners—who overcame a 0-2 deficit in their last visit to Signal Iduna Park the previous autumn—kept their nerve and slowly worked their way back into the match. Heidenheim achieved some penetration on Bensebaini’s side and got Dortmund to turn the ball over with a firm press on a few occasions. The hosts oversaw the match until the 1-2 came in the 39th.

A quick one-two between Paul Wanner and Omar Haktab Traoré off a throw-in ultimately led to Marvin Pieringer polishing off a long ball amid some suspect marking from Waldemar Anton. Two minutes after that, however, Adeyemi restored the two-goal cushion. Adeyemi beat marker Patrick Manila and FCH keeper Kevin Müller with a clever finish of a Ryerson cross. Guirassy himself proved to be smooth when leaving the service for Adeyemi.

Schmidt reacted to the half-time deficit by bringing on new Bundesliga speed record holder Sirlord Conteh in place of Adrian Beck. The change did little to alter the tenor of the match, with Dortmund taking full advantage of the much larger spaces between the FCH backline and midfield. Malen, Guirassy, and Adeyemi came close to scoring amid the unrelenting waves of BVB pressure. 

Shortly after his introduction in the 63rd, Sabitzer thought he had netted the 4-1. A 66th-minute tally was nevertheless disallowed due to a Groß handle in the lead-up. Two minutes after that, Guirassy somehow missed out on his debut goal for his new club when keeper Müller almost accidentally blocked an acrobatic tricycle finish. Some questionable refereeing then threatened to swing the match. 

A controversial penalty call in the 72nd gave the BaWü guests a way back into the match. Niklas Süle was ruled to have fouled FCH sub-Mikkel Kaufmann just inside the area. Match official Robert Schröder immediately pointed to the spot even though it looked as if Süle’s contract was pretty minimal. Matthias Breunig converted the 2-3 from the place. 

The match maintained plenty of pace in the final quarter of an hour as Schmidt’s side went in search of a late equalizer. The tension remained thick until an Omar Haktab Traoré handball penalty at the start of second-half injury time enabled Sahin’s team to put the game to bed. BVB skipper Can, brought on for the final ten minutes, slotted him the 4-2 from the spot at 90+4. 

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