Having established himself in two of the most exciting football teams around, Marco Reus’ star is very much on the rise at the moment.
With Mario Gotze already on his way out the exit door and Robert Lewandowski very likely to follow in the summer, Dortmund fans could be forgiven for looking at their star-studded line up and anxiously fretting over who will be the next to leave?
Will it be the stylish yet error-prone defender Mats Hummels, who Barcelona are thought to be eyeing up? Will it be defensive midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who was so impressive in the first leg victory over Real Madrid? Or will it be Marco Reus, for whom the nickname ‘Rolls Reus’ is highly appropriate and in no way overstating the extent of the German international’s abilities.
There is nothing to say that Reus’ exit is inevitable, mind.
German football is where it’s at right now, Reus signed for Dortmund from Borussia Mönchengladbach less than 18 months ago (he officially joined them last summer) and is probably in no hurry to leave.
Besides, Jurgen Klopp’s side have survived the loss of their star players in the past – Nuri Sahin and Shinji Kagawa, for example – and managed to stay afloat in the upper echelons of the Bundesliga. If the likes of Reus stay put and Dortmund can add some more emerging talent to their ranks, there is no reason to suggest that they can’t repeat the cycle yet again.
When Gotze leaves and Lewandowski follows him (probably), it is Reus who will be given star billing at the Westenfalstadion and deservedly so. Since making his debut for Germany a little under a year ago, he has scored seven goals in 15 games for the national side, including two in a devastating individual display when Germany mercilessly put Ireland to the sword at the Aviva last October.
Reus can count himself as a regular in the German midfield which is quite an achievement considering that he can count Gotze, Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil and Andre Schurrle amongst the competition for the three attacking midfield berths in the formation favoured by Jogi Loew.
Domestically, he’s been equally impressive with nearly 20 goals in his first campaign, including some pretty important ones against Manchester City, Ajax and Real Madrid in the Champions League group stages.
Skilful, extremely quick and very accomplished in front of goal, Reus is arguably most effective when running directly at defences, but like all players in the current Dortmund and German sides, he is a crucial part of the pressing employed by both and has an eye for a pass too.
Real Madrid have no choice but to go for it against Dortmund this evening but the concession of an away goal could be a fatal blow to their already slim hopes of qualification and with Reus amongst a host of threats on the counter attack in the Dortmund side, that will remain a live possibility for the 90 minutes.
Real will be well clued into what he can offer, however, as are most football fans at this stage and the few who aren’t will be soon enough.
He’s made of the Reus stuff alright. *By the time you finished that sentence, JOE had already got his coat and left*
