England U21: Ethan Nwaneri shows attacking qualities that Dortmund need from him
England U21 secured their qualification to the Euro 2027 following a disppointing 0-0 draw with Slovakia U21 on Friday in a match that featured Borussia Dortmund loanee Ethan Nwaneri.
While his BVB teammate Jobe Bellingham was allowed to return to Dortmund as precaution following a splendid display against Kazakhstan U21, Nwaneri lined up for the Young Lions again and played for 71 minutes.
Nwaneri, a dangerous attacking outlet
Starting as the right-sided No.8 in a 4-1-4-1 formation, Nwaneri was among their best attackers in the first half. He was central to circulating the ball in the Slovakian half as the Young Lions piled up the pressure on their visitors and forced them into a few defensive errors too.
In the 18th minute, Nwaneri delivered a corner with a low ball to Max Alleyne, who flicked it towards the goal but his effort struck the right side of the post. Five minutes later, the BVB player had a go at goal himself after Tyrique George played him on, but his shot flew narrowly wide. Another effort from him in the 28th minute was blocked as Nwaneri became a thorn in Slovakia's flesh with his persistent attacking initiatives.
The 19-year-old mustered three shots in the match, highest in the England U21 side alongwith striker Will Lankshear and misplaced just one pass out of the 54 he attempted, most of which came in the opposition half, another testament to how vital Nwaneri was in progressing their offensive plays.
Off the ball too, the Arsenal man didn't give the young Slovakians a moment's rest, hunting them down for the ball with his fearless takeons, although a few overzealous attempts also saw him concede fouls, one of which even led to a free-kick. He made five recoveries in the match and won seven of his 13 ground duels.
Although he appeared to run out of attacking steam as the match progressed, Nwaneri was still crucial to helping the Young Lions maintain control before he was finally subbed out in the 73rd minute for Josh King.
He must replicate this with BVB
After back-to-back commanding displays in attack for the England U21, Nwaneri showed why Dortmund were so keen on him. However, after forcing the match-winning own goal on his club debut, the 19-year-old hasn't really been able to make a difference for them. As club games resume next weekend, Die Borussen will be hoping to see more of these international performances translates into a solid club form too.
