News Analysis: Dortmund's Meunier receives excellent opportunity to play himself into form
When Belgium's Timothy Castagne succumbed to injury early in his country's Euro opener against Russia on Saturday evening, Dortmund's Thomas Meunier took over on the right to pair axially with teammate Thorgan Hazard.
It was not long before the two Schwarzgelben teammates engineered a goal. Meunier was able to bang home the rebound of a Hazard shot on the BVB co-production.
Unfortunate news that Castagne will be sidelined for the duration of the continental championship may constitute a big opportunity for the Bundesliga wingback.
Few Dortmund fans would have conjectured that Thomas Meunier could play so well deployed high up the pitch until Saturday evening. The Belgium international brought in last summer to replace the deaparted Achraf Hakimi on the right never stood much of a chance of replicating the work of the Moroccan during the 2019/20 campaign.
It was not long before the two Schwarzgelben teammates engineered a goal. Meunier was able to bang home the rebound of a Hazard shot on the BVB co-production.
Unfortunate news that Castagne will be sidelined for the duration of the continental championship may constitute a big opportunity for the Bundesliga wingback.
Meunier scored and recorded an assist in Belgium's 3-0 win over Russia in his country's Euro opener. His performance in red certainly surpassed many of those in Black and Yellow this year. Meunier at times played as more of straight right-back in Roberto Martinez's makeshift constellation, but spent a lot of time forward in a role reminiscent of that of Hakimi's.
Should Martinez continue to use him as a flexible wingback throughout the tournament, the Rode Duivels' trainer may have inadvertently given incoming Dortmund trainer Marco Rose something to think about. The BVB will need someone reliable on the right following Lukasz Piszczek's retirement and Mateu Morey's long-term injury.
After starting only three games in the second half of the season, Meunier reflected during an interview with sporting website Spox that the man on the pitch recently was "not the Thomas Meunier I know". A confidence boosting tournament, along with a continually successful partnership with Hazard, might help the 29-year-old recapture some of the form he exhibited at FC Brugge and PSG.
Bundesliga watchers will certainly be keeping a close eye on a talented player who underperformed significantly in German football last year as the Euros progress.