Where does Gio Reyna go from here?
The USMNT player has all the talent in the world, but his continued struggles to hold down a starting role in Edin Terzic's side doesn't bode well for his future at Borussia Dortmund.
Saturday’s Revierderby really should have been the moment Gio Reyna reintroduced himself to the 2022/23 Bundesliga season. As a deafening Veltins Arena descended upon their local rivals in the hope that Schalke could cause an upset against Edin Terzic’s injury-ravaged Borussia Dortmund squad, the Black and Yellows needed a back-up star to step up and be counted. Reyna was exactly that man. This was his moment to shine.
But it never came. Instead, Terzic opted for Donyell Malen in place of the injured Karim Adeyemi to partner Sebastian Haller up front, while 18-year-old Jamie Bynoe-Gittens was offered only his fourth start of the Bundesliga campaign to replace Marco Reus. And in place of Dortmund’s playmaker-in-chief, Julian Brandt, the Dortmund head coach twisted his starting formation out of shape to slot Raphaël Guerreiro in as a make-shift No.8.
This offered mixed results. Surprisingly, the aforementioned Portuguese defender was a revelation in the middle of the pitch. Guerreiro has always had far more interest in roaming forward rather than tracking opposing players - as most jaded Dortmund fans can attest to - and that’s exactly what he did to great effect for much of the game. His goal in the 60th minute was a testament to his technical ability and eye for goal.
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