Dortmund celebrate red-hot Gittens’ ‘arrival’ as Barca loom

BERLIN: Asked to sum up yet another star turn from winger Jamie Gittens on Saturday, Borussia Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin said simply “he has arrived.”

Still just 20, Gittens´ recent performances have established the Englishman as Dortmund´s most important attacking outlet. With his trademark dance in from the left flank, dribbling past defenders, Gittens unleashed a rocket which bounced in off the crossbar to score for the fourth straight game.

In Wednesday´s home clash against a free-scoring Barcelona side who are top of the La Liga table, Gittens will be crucial as Dortmund hope to take a step closer to locking up a top-eight spot.

Gittens walked the same path as former Borussia teammate Jadon Sancho when he moved from the Manchester City academy to Dortmund. Just four years younger than Sancho, who is now at Chelsea having returned to Dortmund for a six-month loan last season, Gittens´ progress was disrupted by a series of shoulder injuries.

This season, Gittens has played in all Dortmund´s 20 games in all competitions. He has nine goals -- including four in the Champions League -- and four assists. Gittens has developed a habit of scoring incredible goals at crucial moments in what has been a challenging season for last year´s Champions League finalists.

German tabloid Bild on Sunday called him a “giant” and said “Dortmund finally have a star face again.” According to Bild´s analysis, sixth-placed Dortmund would be in the bottom half of the table without Gittens´ contributions.

Germany´s Sport1 network on Monday had a discussion asking if “Dortmund are too dependent?” on the starlet this season. On Saturday, Gittens was quick to deflect praise of his red-hot form.

“My teammates are always making me go harder in training,” Gittens told the Bundesliga website, adding his improvement was due to “being more confident on the pitch.” Several current superstars, including Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Ousmane Dembele and Sancho, have emerged from the Dortmund finishing school in recent years.

Plenty are tempted to ask if Gittens is on the same path -- and whether a move away is inevitable. German media speculated on Sunday Gittens will be Dortmund´s next big-money sale.

But while Haaland, Bellingham, Dembele and Sancho always had their eyes set on a short stay, Gittens -- who gives interviews in German -- has repeatedly said he is comfortable in Dortmund.

After a spectacular solo goal in a 1-1 draw with rivals Bayern Munich in November, Sancho texted Gittens. “He wrote to me. He said ´keep it up -- it´s your time to show everyone what you can do´,” Gittens said of Sancho, calling the Chelsea winger “a top player and a top friend.”

Dortmund coach Sahin, under pressure after a patchy start to the season, refused to take credit for Gittens´ development. “The credit doesn´t belong to me, but to Jamie and (former Dortmund assistant coach) Sven Bender.”

“He´s made a huge step. His heart is in the right place and I wish him only the best.” Like last season, when they finished fifth in the Bundesliga but reached the Champions League final, Dortmund have struggled in Germany but impressed in Europe this year.

Dortmund are fourth on the Champions League table, level on points with third-placed Barcelona. Despite flying high in the new format, either side could fall outside the top eight with a loss, such is the traffic jam of teams below them.

Barcelona are atop the Liga table in Hansi Flick´s first season. They have, however, begun to show defensive vulnerabilities similar to those which brought Flick´s time at Bayern to an end. If Dortmund are to challenge the five-time Champions League winners, the lightning-quick Gittens will need to play a leading role.