Alexander Isak felt he took chance 'quite well' in full Dortmund debut
Borussia Dortmund striker Alexander Isak felt he took his chance "quite well" after scoring and assisting a goal in his first professional start in a 5-0 win against third-division side Magdeburg in the German cup on Tuesday.
Isak, 18, had been fielded as a centre-forward in the absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who had stayed in Dortmund due to a slight muscular problems.
The young Sweden international, who joined the German outfit in January of 2017, had to wait until late October to make his full debut after having made substitute appearances in all competitions.
Isak could have opened the scoring as early as the third minute after teammate Maximilian Philipp hit the post from close range, but his effort off the rebound was saved by Alexander Brunst.
The visitors had to wait until the end of the first half to open the scoring. Andriy Yarmolenko crossed the ball into the box in the 42nd minute to find Isak, who unselfishly headed the ball toward the better positioned Gonzalo Castro. Castro, who had entered the field 32 seconds earlier after replacing the injured midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud, poked home.
Two minutes after the break, Isak kept a counter-attack alive, winning a battle midfield and ran into position to receive the ball from Philipp to slot home through the keeper's legs to double Dortmund's lead. The Ruhr side went on to steamroll a defeated Magdeburg team with Yarmolenko, Marc Bartra and Shinji Kagawa adding to the goal tally.
"The beginning was tough for me," Isak told Ruhr Nachrichten in regard to the first half in Magdeburg as well as to his start at his new club, adding: "I received my chance today and I think I took it quite well. Now I hope that I will get further chances in the future."
Alexander Isak, right, made a dream debut for Dortmund, scoring one and assisting on another in a big win.
The 18-year-old received the Man of the Match award by the German FA after the match and was also called in for praise from teammate Nuri Sahin.
"The lad has mega potential," Nuri Sahin told journalists after the match, revealing that his teammates had talked prior to the game that it could be an occasion for the young Swede to make the next step.
BVB, meanwhile, will take the 5-0 win as a welcomed confidence boost following a streak of bad results that saw them lose a five-point advantage to Bayern Munich in the table by losing against RB Leipzig and drawing against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga while their Champions League ambitions took another hit after a draw against Apoel Nicosia last week.
Head coach Peter Bosz was happy with his team's performance, albeit not fully satisfied.
"As a coach, you're never 100 percent satisfied," he told SKY after the game. "But you have to be satisfied with this win. I saw things that weren't good but you have to admit that it wasn't easy for us.
"The atmosphere [in Magdeburg] was spectacular and we faced a gritty team that is very far up the table in the third division. It was tricky at the beginning of the match but the boys did well."
Asked where Dortmund are standing form-wise after recent results, he responded: "I know where Borussia Dortmund stands, we are top of the table. Looking ahead, all I can say that every match is important. We can win the next three games but then lose two games after that.
"In football, everything is happening quickly. For us, it's important that we can set our sights on Hannover without any additional injuries and hope to win the match."
The Black and Yellows will travel to Hannover on Saturday before hosting Nicosia in the Champions League and then face Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich at the following weekend.
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Swedish teen football star Alexander Isak shines for new club
AFP/The Local
25 October 2017
Alexander Isak. Photo: Adam Ihse/TT
Alexander Isak, the teenager dubbed Sweden's 'next Zlatan Ibrahimovic', has scored for his new club Borussia Dortmund.
Borussia Dortmund beat Magdeburg 5-0 on Tuesday in their German Cup second-round romp.
The 18-year-old Isak scored and set up a goal on his first start for the club with star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubayemang rested by the Cup holders.
Isak signed in January from Stockholm club AIK for a reported nine million euros ($10.5 million).
Dortmund hope the Sweden international, who had previously only made four substitute appearances for the side, can grow to become Aubameyang’s future replacement.
Isak laid on a goal for Gonzalo Castro, who scored with his first touch of the ball on 42 minutes, then showed ice-cool finishing by slotting home on 47 minutes.
The floodgates opened in the final 16 minutes as Ukraine winger Andriy Yarmolenko converted a penalty after a handball as Magdeburg’s defence tired.
Defender Marc Bartra netted a header before Shinji Kagawa added a fifth on 90 minutes.
This was Dortmund’s first win in four games having seen their five-point lead evaporate in the Bundesliga, but they stay top of the league on goal difference from Bayern Munich.
Dortmund coach Peter Bosz made seven changes from the side which drew 2-2 at Eintracht Frankfurt last Saturday.
Captain Marcel Schmelzer made his first start after six weeks out with a leg injury, while Germany winger Andre Schuerrle came on for Isak late on to make his comeback after injury in August.
Schalke are also into the third round after their 3-1 win at third-division Wehen WI, while Eintracht Frankfurt enjoyed a 4-0 thrashing of fourth-tier Schweinfurt.
The plum tie of the round takes place on Wednesday when RB Leipzig host Bayern Munich in a clash of last season’s Bundesliga top two.
