The sky is the limit for Karim Adeyemi amidst stunning Borussia Dortmund form
There was plenty to enjoy about Borussia Dortmund’s huge 7-1 UEFA Champions League win over Celtic, but Karim Adeyemi’s first-half hat-trick was particularly eye-catching. After an inconsistent opening couple of seasons at Signal Iduna Park, the 22-year-old is beginning to show the full extent of his obvious talent.
It was an electric start in Dortmund as Die Schwarzgelben put the Scottish champions to the sword in the first half. Celtic will be glad to see the back of Adeyemi, who was involved in four of his side’s five goals prior to the break.
While the first of the Germany international’s triple found the back of the net courtesy of a deflection off Aaron Trusty, there was nothing the Celtic backline or Kasper Schmeichel between the sticks could do to stop Adeyemi’s second from finding the top corner. And, after winning a penalty that Serhou Guirassy subsequently converted, the forward dispatched a clinical drive from the edge of the area shortly before the break.
Had it not been for a thigh issue that forced off him off in the 48th minute, Adeyemi may well have left the pitch with more strikes to his name. Although the youngster has previously struggled with muscular injuries, he seemed in good spirits after full-time, saying the twinge did not feel as bad as it may have done in the past.
It was a momentous night in more ways than one for the former Red Bull Salzburg man. Not only was it his first hat-trick for the club, he also became the youngest German to reach 10 Champions League goals – his tally now stands at 12.
Adeyemi underlined how special the game was for him in his post-match interviews, and even jokingly claimed that his previous evening meal of broccoli was to thank for his stunning display. It was Dortmund captain Emre Can, though, who best captured the feeling around Adeyemi right now.
“He played fantastically,” he said. "Not just today, but also in the last few weeks. He plays with more maturity and more determination. That must continue to be his aim.”
Finally, Adeyemi is beginning to fulfil his vast potential. Signed from Salzburg in the summer of 2022 as one of the hottest prospects in Europe, he showed flashes of his ability during the 2022/23 term, scoring 10 goals in all competitions.
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However, despite playing in all but one of Dortmund’s matches during their run to the Champions League final, Adeyemi could only manage half that tally in 2023/24. Assists were few and far between, and the Munich native’s lack of composure in the final third perhaps contributed to his side’s downfall – he wasted a fantastic opportunity to give BVB the lead against Real Madrid at Wembley in the European showpiece as the Spanish outfit went on to prevail 2-0.
Nevertheless, now settled in his surroundings and with the initial pressure and expectation now having eased, Adeyemi has hit the ground running this time around. He has already racked up 10 goal contributions (five goals and five assists), already surpassing his hauls from his first two seasons, producing some match-winning performances along the way.
His speed was always one of his biggest assets, but he has been especially pacey this season – only Sirlord Conteh (the Bundesliga’s fastest-ever player) and Nathan Ngoumou have registered higher speeds than Adeyemi’s 22.48 mph (36.18 km/h).
It is still early days and, post-Celtic, Dortmund head coach Nuri Şahin echoed Can’s comments as he summed up his star’s showing. "Karim simply has everything. He's so strong, but we need to work together to see that on the pitch every three days.”
This is the challenge for Adeyemi, but it is now becoming clear why Dortmund were so eager to capture his services. With an international break around the corner and Julian Nagelsmann’s squad still going through a transitional period following the retirement of several key players, he is in with a strong chance of adding to his four caps so far too. Should he be able to keep up this vein on form, the sky really is the limit.
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