Karim Adeyemi finally makes his mark for Borussia Dortmund

The relief on Karim Adeyemi's face was evident. The 21-year-old closed his eyes and pushed the air out of his mouth. The Borussia Dortmund winger had waited a long time for his first Bundesliga goal, 669 minutes to be precise, and when the ball fell to him in the box after Haller's dummy, he took the time to take a touch and make sure before lashing home. He knew this one had to go in.

"I told Sebastien [Haller] to leave it for me," Adeyemi told DAZN with a smile afterwards.

"It wasn't just a really important goal for Karim, but also for us," Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic said following the win.

Dortmund's third straight win of 2023 was less dramatic than the first two, but it still required great individual performances. Gregor Kobel made key saves at key times, Sebastien Haller's dummy for Adeyemi's goal was an assist in its own right, and Jude Bellingham continues to impress. But it was Adeyemi whose performances might be the most pivotal for Dortmund going forward.

Hot and cold

Adeyemi arrived at Dortmund the same day Erling Haaland left. While obviously not a replacement for the Norwegian, Adeyemi cost a reported €30 million and, having scored on his Germany debut, his arrival was also accompanied with a certain level of expectation.

What followed were flashes of quality, a close-range goal in Seville and a World Cup campaign that was more about learning than playing.

In Leverkusen, Adeyemi's long-discussed potential certainly wasn't fully realized but it did feel more like the kind of performance Terzic has been waiting for from the youngster.

Perhaps it was because the left-footed winger was playing down the left for the first time this season, but Adeyemi did more defensive work, finishing the first half with the most duels won (five) and the most tackles (four) as a Dortmund player.

He was also a threatening part of Dortmund's attack. When he came off after 72 minutes, he had amassed 39 sprints — the most of all players — and, pivotally for a player who has often relied too heavily on his skill with the ball, only attempted one dribble.

There were still signs of an exuberant young player desperate to become a regular in this team. Within a minute of scoring, Adeyemi was booked for a clumsy forward's tackle near his own corner flag. Four minutes into the second half, Adeyemi flew forward with the ball but didn't release it in time and the chance was gone.

But this was enough to help his team win and for Dortmund to feel hopeful that this is just the beginning. And, three points behind Bayern with the decisive part of the season ahead, Dortmund will know that's not bad thing.