Bundesliga
Axel Witsel has hailed the qualities of Jadon Sancho after the English teenager produced a goal and assist in Borussia Dortmund's 2019 DFL Supercup final win over Bayern Munich, describing his teammate as "the complete player".
Sancho, 19, fed Spain forward Paco Alcacer for Dortmund's opener early in the second half, before clinching the victory and his side's first trophy since 2017 with a clinical finish through the legs of Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer with 21 minutes of normal time remaining.
The England international left the field of play in the 80th minute to a standing ovation, but that was just the start of the Sancho appreciation show.
"Jadon is a serious talent," enthused Witsel after Dortmund's 2-0 success at the Signal Iduna Park. "Even the Bayern defenders were scared when he was on the ball, but there's nothing new there because he just has so much quality.
"He is quick, technically gifted and he can score goals himself as well as lay them on for his teammates. He really is the complete player."
There's no arguing with Witsel's assessment. Sancho scored 12 goals and provided a league-high 14 assists in his breakout campaign with Dortmund last season, and his Supercup heroics suggest he has already taken another sizeable stride forward in his development.
The opening goal came in the 48th minute, Sancho shifting away from a ruck of Bayern defenders before playing the ball across the edge of the penalty area for Alcacer to finish with aplomb.
As Bayern pushed for an equaliser, Sancho landed the knockout blow, collecting a pass on the right-hand side just inside the Bayern half, racing clear of the Bayern defence and driving a supremely confident finish into the net.
"When Jadon approaches you in a one-on-one, it's incredibly difficult [for the defender]," said Dortmund captain Marco Reus. "He's a fantastic player, but he's still learning."
Watch: Jadon Sancho reflects on his match-winning performance in the Supercup
Sancho helped take Dortmund to within two points of a first Bundesliga title since 2012 last season, but his Supercup salvo has only heightened belief within the BVB ranks that the Ruhr district club can go one better and topple Bayern in 2019/20.
"It's a long season and Bayern are still Bayern, so that means we have to get straight back to work," commented Witsel. "That's the only way we can achieve our goals, but we're feeling confident right now. The Supercup was a good sign."
Dortmund return to competitive action on 9 August when they take on third-tier Uerdingen in the DFB Cup first round, before resuming their pursuit of defending Bundesliga champions Bayern with a home game against Augsburg a week later.