Jobe Bellingham is turning a corner at Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund are finding their feet again following a small dip in form. After returning from the international break, the BVB failed to win their immediate three matches but have since prevailed in their next three to suggest a return to normalcy.
Amidst this new found momentum, Jobe Bellingham's contributions have gone under the radar. The 21-year-old has silently been making an impact even as Serhou Guirassy, Julian Ryerson and Marcel Sabizter among others, dominate the headlines.
Last week, Bellingham came off the bench for both their games, against Sabah FK in the Champions League and against Eintracht Frakfurt in the Bundesliga, and he left a mark in both clashes. He created a wonderful chance for Fabio Silva in the first one, finding space on the right to release him with an incisive through ball which the Portuguese fired high and wide, before combining superbly with Maximilian Beier to construct their winning goal on Saturday.
On Tuesday, he was reinstated back into the XI by Niko Kovac for their DFB-Pokal game against Werder Bremen and Bellingham was again involved heavily. He released Beier on the left with another spectacular ball forward which led to Dortmund's opening goal on the night and then assisted Carney Chukwuemeka by heading Joey Veerman's long ball into his path.
In all three of these games, the former Birmingham City midfielder showed excellent positional awareness to show up in the right place at the right time. He's also demonstrated the scale of his potential on the ball with devastating link-up plays, combining that with his eletric speed to create big chances.
He ranks seventh in the BVB squad for chances created (6) in the Bundesliga this season, made 25 line-breaking passes and laid six accurate long balls too, a testament to how vital Bellingham is in their midfield engine room. He is not involved in ball circulation, but actively progresses them forward, aided by his impeccable vision.
With a little more accurate finishing, the Englishman might have had a few more assists too. He appears more confident in possession whilst also being more willing to drive forward into spaces on the left. This adventurous side of his has played a vital role in stretching opposition defenses and may come handy against Bayern Munich too.
There's still a question mark over whether he'd start the Der Klassiker, with Kovac preferring Joey Veerman with Felix Nmecha in midfield. But with Nmecha struggling to make a direct impact, he'd be wise to start with the in-form Bellingham, who'd be eager to add to his assist tally.
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