In Borussia Dortmund’s 3-0 victory over Union Berlin, defender Nico Schlotterbeck scored the team’s second goal, marking his 3rd goal of the season. After the match, the Dortmund star revealed the reason behind his recent goalscoring form in an interview.
“After my knee injury, I was not allowed to enter the opposing penalty area for a long time,” Schlotterbeck explained. “It was a decision by the coaching staff. In the first half of the season, I barely pushed forward to join the attack, but I’ve been given the freedom to advance for seven or eight consecutive games recently.”
When asked why head coach Niko Kovač had banned him from the penalty area for a time after his lengthy injury layoff, Schlotterbeck said: “As I said, after an injury, you have to conserve your energy and recover carefully for a certain period, because that layoff was really quite long.”
Two weeks ago, the Germany international scored a crucial opening goal against Werder Bremen. Before that, he had only found the net once in 16 league games – that coming in the match against TSG Hoffenheim.
“In these last seven or eight games, the coach has allowed me to actively participate in the attack, and I’ve managed to deliver one dangerous pass in almost every game, including two chance-creating passes against Tottenham Hotspur,” Schlotterbeck added. He is satisfied with his growing offensive contributions, attributing them to his physical recovery and tactical permission.
Besides Schlotterbeck, Dortmund captain Emre Can scored from the penalty spot in this match, while Maximilian Beier added a late goal to seal a 3-0 win for the team.
