Former Manchester United midfielder Marcel Sabitzer asserted himself firmly onto the main stage of European football as he helped Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League semi-finals.
The Austrian midfielder recorded two assists in a back and forth quarter-final clash against Atletico Madrid before bagging the all-important winning goal. Sabitzer first unleashed Chelsea loanee Ian Maatsen in the opening half before delivering the cross for Niclas Fullkrug’s header that put the German side back on level terms over the two legs.
With 74 minutes on the clock, Sabitzer took a touch to nudge the ball into the box before hitting a left-footed strike past Jan Oblak. Jubilant celebrations unfolded as Sabitzer stormed to the corner of the pitch and over the advertising boards to be joined by teammates from on and off the field.
The 30-year-old’s effort ensured a 5-4 scoreline on aggregate and a 4-2 win on the night at the Westfalenstadion. The German side will go on to face Paris Saint Germain in the semi-finals after Barcelona suffered a meltdown in their quarters clash.
Dortmund signed Sabitzer from Bayern Munich for a fee in the region of £16million and has been a regular under Edin Terzic, adding six goals in his 34 appearances this term. Certainly his match-winning performance this evening may have left some at Old Trafford wondering what they missed out on.
Sabitzer spent the latter half of last season helping United secure a Carabao Cup trophy and a place in the Champions League. The Dortmund star has progressed far further than the Red Devils managed after they crashed out bottom of their group before Christmas.
It was in Europe for United too where the midfielder probably delivered his most memorable effort. Sabitzer scored two goals in the first leg of the Red Devil’s Europa League clash against Sevilla, but could not help his side progress on that occasion.
On Tuesday evening however, Sabitzer impressed another former United midfielder in Owen Hargreaves. Speaking to TNT Sports he was full of praise for the ex-RB Leipzig star. “Sabitzer has literally had the game of his life,” Hargreaves said.
“He was everywhere in the big moments. Everything he touched today, Sabitzer, turned to gold. To be fair you need players to step up in the big moments, Sabitzer was the guy that stepped up and changed the game.”
