The name Julian Brandt doesn’t necessarily come to mind as a possible record breaker in this 61st Bundesliga season, which is marked by numerous records. The BVB player should now achieve something historic. As one of the youngest professionals ever, “the child of the Bundesliga” reaches 300 games.
When Borussia Dortmund hosts SV Werder Bremen this Friday, it will be a special game for 27-year-old Julian Brandt in several ways. The BVB midfielder has dreamed of playing for his hometown club since he was a child. “As a small child, I always decided that I would become a professional and return to Bremen at some point. My little brother plays there, my family lives in Bremen. I have a special relationship there,” the national player told Sport1 in January.
But it will still be some time before Werder plays their first game in the Weserstadion. Since Brandt’s departure from Bremen, where he grew up in the tranquil northeast, their paths have diverged greatly. While Brandt made it to the national and sometimes even international top via Wolfsburg, Leverkusen and then Dortmund, SVW has been fighting for survival and against becoming an elevator team between the first and second Bundesliga for many years.
In 19 competitive games against his love so far, Brandt was able to win nine times, but lost seven games. He was quite successful with a total of six goals and four assists. Like last season, for example: Back then, he scored three goals in stoppage time in both the historic and incredible 2-3 defeat, Dortmund’s last Bundesliga defeat in the Westfalenstadion, and in the 2-0 win in the away game one hit each.
130 scorer points in 299 games
In the season in which Brandt finally really arrived in Dortmund, he ended up with nine goals, eight assists and only one runner-up spot. In the decisive game against FSV Mainz 05, his nerves failed him. In the 44th minute he missed a great chance to score. He left the pitch in the 62nd minute.
All of that was somewhat suppressed in Dortmund. BVB is at least on track in the league, still without a defeat this season, Julian Brandt has played his part in that. The national player, who played a minor role in Julian Nagelsmann’s debut trip to the USA, was on the pitch in every game. He scored twice, prepared four goals and was otherwise in a formidable mood.
Friday isn’t just the eighth game of the 2023/2024 season and his 20th competitive game against Werder (8:30 p.m./DAZN and in the live ticker on ntv.de) but also one that would catapult him into the history books of the Bundesliga. The 27-year-old is about to make his 300th appearance in the Bundesliga. Of course, that alone is not news. His 60 goals and 70 assists so far for Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund are also good, but they do not put the offensive player above everyone else.
But the number 300 is one worth remembering. It all started on February 15, 2014 with a dreary 1-2 defeat by Bayer Leverkusen against FC Schalke 04. Coach Sami Hyypiä brought on Brandt late for Heung-Min Son, but it didn’t help. The goals from Leon Goretzka and Jan-Klaas Huntelaar were good for Schalke and the then coach Jens Keller. The Royal Blues ended the year in third place, with Leverkusen just behind. That’s how long ago it was.
Sometimes Brandt’s sleepiness gets in the way
Leon Goretzka, a good year older than Brandt, moved to Bayern on a free transfer in the summer of 2018. So far he has played a total of 247 Bundesliga games with 78 goals. A year later, Brandt moved to BVB, who paid 25 million euros for him. The move came as a surprise; people around Dortmund said that Bayern didn’t want Brandt with all their passion. They weren’t 100 percent convinced of him. A runner-up talent for the eternal runner-up.
In his best moments, Brandt was reminiscent of the great footballers, but he was just as good at driving the fans to despair again and again. An example of this was a game between BVB and RB Leipzig in December 2019. Both clubs dueled off the field for a then 19-year-old Norwegian named Erling Haaland and on the field for a good position in the championship. In the end it was 3:3. Brandt scored a dream goal in the first half to make it 2-0 and sent Leipzig’s Timo Werner on his way with a sleepy back pass at the beginning of the second half – the final score was 2-2. Haaland came anyway.
But the Norwegian has now moved on. At Manchester City last season he had a new partner at his side: Kevin de Bruyne. Not only has he played for Werder Bremen, but he is one of the world’s best midfielders (and unfortunately injured at the moment). With the Belgian, Haaland took his game to new heights. In his first year with the Citizens he scored 36 goals in 35 league games, won the Champions League and won all the prizes. Also because de Bruyne was there. Meanwhile, in Dortmund, Brandt made sure that Jude Bellingham laughed often.
“He can be our Kevin de Bruyne”
Bellingham, who is now under contract with Real Madrid, often felt his heart soar when he combined with Brandt. They were the superheroes that coach Edin Terzić needed for his football, which almost brought BVB the championship. Brandt worked out a new contract. Hardly anyone expected that.
“I believe that Julian Brandt can have a similar influence on our game as Kevin de Bruyne,” said BVB coach Terzić before the anniversary game against Werder Bremen. Of course the Belgian has a completely different system and a completely different style of play, but he could have the value. Terzić talks about how hard the Bremen native has worked on himself: “He’s someone who’s really good for us. In possession of the ball and also when playing against the ball,” he says and explains that Brandt now also does things “that have no talent “He often works an extra shift after training to practice standards. “He has become tougher in duels,” said Terzić about the player who has grown into a key player in Dortmund.
“Julian is a child of the Bundesliga,” said Terzić. “He still looks very young. He’s already in his prime football age. I enjoy working with him every day.” This still very young child of the Bundesliga will rise into an illustrious circle on Friday. 300 Bundesliga games, something only two players before him achieved at an earlier point in time.
Charly Körbel was 27 years and 120 days old, Eike Immel was even four days younger. Julian Brandt will be 27 years and 171 days old. Behind him are players like Georg “Katsche” Schwarzenbeck, Rüdiger Abramczik, Franz-Josef “Jupp” Tenhagen and Berti Vogts. It’s been a long time since anyone has been able to get in the way. The current Dortmund player will now be able to do this against his great love, Werder. Perhaps he will play his 603rd Bundesliga game for Werder Bremen in the distant future. Then he would have grabbed the all-time record from the eternal Frankfurter Körbel.