‘1 Dribble, 2/7 Duels Won’: Jadon Sancho’s ‘EFFORT’ Display as Man Utd Loanee Challenges Madrid’s Defense in UCL Final Loss
Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho was afforded 87 minutes of action as Borussia Dortmund were beaten by Real Madrid at Wembley in the Champions League final.
Late goals in the 74th and 83rd minutes from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior respectively were enough to clinch the trophy for Madrid and inflict heartbreak on Dortmund.
The Bundesliga side dominated for large spells of the game and created a number of clear-cut chances, especially in the opening 45 minutes but they weren’t clinical in front of goal. Carlo Ancelotti’s men grew into the game as time went on and finally got their reward.
Sancho started on the right wing of a 4-3-3 formation. He was part of an attacking trio also consisting of Karim Adeyemi on the opposite flank and Niclas Fullkrug leading the line.
The United loanee was not as effective and dangerous as he was in the semi-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
Apart from one or two instances in which he came up against Ferland Mendy and tried to put the ball inside the box, Sancho didn’t offer very much in terms of attacking Madrid. He however did the simple things well and produced some nice combinations with Julian Ryerson on the right flank.
Sancho was eventually taken off by Edin Terzic and replaced by Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
During the time he was on the pitch, Sancho failed to register any shot, whether on-target or off-target.
He embarked on three dribbles and completed just one. Sancho had 39 touches of the ball and successfully delivered 26 of the 31 passes he attempted, managing an individual pass completion rate of 84%.
The 24-year-old failed to register a key pass or cross.
The Englishman found his intended target with the one long ball he tried to ping. He didn’t attempt a cross. Sancho won two of the seven ground duels he delved into and made one interception.
Sancho, who was so good against PSG, probably wouldn’t have imagined this kind of performance. Now that his future at United has been determined, the forward is scheduled to return.
Another spell with Dortmund – whether on loan again or on a permanent basis – is firmly on the cards for Sancho. Remaining at United in an attempt to save his career at Old Trafford is also a possibility and shouldn’t be completely ruled out.
