The reputation actually came almost a bit shy. "I told Seb: Let him through," reported Karim Adeyemi after his redeeming first Bundesliga goal for Borussia Dortmund: "But then I was surprised that he really let him through. Because I didn't say it very loudly." Seb, i.e. Sébastien Haller, understood it when he made his first start after suffering from testicular cancer.

Adeyemi was recently unable to perform as a speaker. A first half of the season without a goal is an almost adventurously weak result for a national player and World Cup participant who costs 25 million and is a regular in the attacking BVB team with 14 appearances. The 1-0 win in the 2-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen in the 33rd minute brought great relief.

"New year, new luck," said the 21-year-old, who had recently fought his way up in training and who, in the week before the Leverkusen game, coach Edin Terzic had also acknowledged great progress in defensive work and playing off the ball. "Hopefully the knot has burst now," said Adeyemi, basically a cheerful guy with a mischievous streak. And added a little quieter: "It can only get better."