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Borussia Dortmund gathering pace ahead of Barcelona and Bayern Munich clashes

Borussia Dortmund’s young guns impressed in a resounding win in Freiburg, taking a big step towards the European spots as a result. Thanks in part to Carney Chukwuemeka's debut goal, the Black-Yellows go into their season-defining matches in Barcelona and Munich as a team in form.

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What a perfect day Saturday was for Dortmund fans! Four goals in the sunny south away at Freiburg, the gap behind sixth place narrowed to just two points, and good news on the injury front even before the game kicked off. The Black-Yellows' list of absentees is steadily thinning out: Felix Nmecha was back on the bench after more than two months sidelined through injury, where he was joined by Serhou Guirassy, who had also been out of action in recent weeks.

Head coach Niko Kovač was, therefore, able to choose from a full squad, yet he still surprised with his selection after handing 20-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka his first Bundesliga start, and the young Englishman repaid Kovač's trust emphatically. In the 51st minute, he scored to make it 2-0 to his side with a deflected shot for what was his very first Bundesliga goal. The moment elicited a satisfied smile from Kovač, even if he feels the midfielder's potential is far from exhausted: “He should keep on like this. He's certainly not yet fully reached what he’s capable of.” Nevertheless, one thing is clear: Chukwuemeka's goal will leave Kovač with a headache when it comes to selecting his squad for their upcoming fixtures.

Maximilian Beier was also one of the standout performers in the victory over Freiburg. The assist he provided for Chukwuemeka's goal was his second of the match, with Karim Adeyemi latching onto the first for the opener. It means that Dortmund's first two goals were created and finished by their young guns, with Adeyemi and Beier both being born in 2002 and Chukwuemeka in 2003. Of course, that doesn't mean that Borussia's old guard can't still do it, as was shown when Guirassy converted Julian Brandt's assist to make it 3-0, but it was all made possible - of course – by some individual brilliance from Chukwuemeka in the build-up.

Amongst all the praise for Chukwuemeka, there is another player who also mustn’t go ignored. Jamie Gittens, also from England and even younger than his teammate (born in 2004), has finally arrived under Kovač. He scored for the first time under the new coach just eight minutes after coming on as a substitute, which will have been a huge confidence boost for the coming weeks.

Confidence is something Dortmund will certainly need, too. On Wednesday, they travel to La Liga leaders Barcelona for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, speaking after the Freiburg game, sent a message of determination to Hansi Flick's team: "We still have a lot to do. We have a huge chance in the Champions League, if we can play freely and we will try to get the maximum out of it against one very, very strong opponent."

Should they manage to pull off a shock result, they will be brimming in confidence for their next, and no less difficult, Bundesliga match. Bayern Munich await the Black-Yellows in this season’s second instalment of Der Klassiker next Saturday evening. Needless to say the two upcoming games against the FCBs offer a real opportunity for BVB's young guns to prove themselves once again and to push on down the back straight.

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