Lucien Favre picked Gio Reyna for his first career Bundesliga start in a big second-vs.-third matchup against RB Leipzig on Saturday. The 17-year-old American repaid his manager’s faith, setting up the first goal as Borussia Dortmund clinched second place with a 2-0 victory at Red Bull Arena.
Reyna was a late scratch from the starting lineup back on May 16, when the Bundesliga first returned from its coronavirus hiatus. Since then, he’s made five substitute appearances before missing the midweek match with illness. Back fit, Favre put him in the starting lineup, giving the American 81 minutes to show what he can do.
And he did.
In the 30th minute, Reyna’s spot-on, first-time pass set up Erling Haaland for the game’s opening goal.
Gio Reyna Assist vs RB Leipzig
First @Bundesliga_EN start, first assist for Gio Reyna pic.twitter.com/lW7iYkIp39
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 20, 2020
The assist was Reyna’s first in the Bundesliga this season, but not his first to Haaland this season. The son of former USMNT captain Claudio Reyna set up Haaland for a game-winning assist against PSG back in February.
Haaland would go on to score in the 93rd minute to secure all three points and up his tally to 13 goals in 10 Bundesliga starts.
Dortmund had lost its chance to catch Bayern Munich, which clinched the Bundesliga title on Tuesday. But the win put BVB six points ahead of third-place Leipzig with one match remaining. Because Bayer Leverkusen lost on Saturday, Leipzig is all but assured a top-four finish and Champions League play next season, leading the fifth-place team by three points and a nearly unassailable 27 goal difference.
