‘An absolute weapon’: Mats Hummels hails former Dortmund team-mate | OneFootball

They took the field together for Borussia Dortmund exactly 40 times. Achraf Hakimi (27) and Mats Hummels (37) were both part of BVB’s squad in the 2019/20 season. While one of them has long since hung up his boots, the other is currently shining at the World Cup.

The meeting between Morocco and Brazil on Sunday (June 14, 12:00 a.m. CEST) was likely the highest-quality match of the tournament so far. The North Africans were particularly impressive in the first half with their quick combination play. Ismael Saibari (25) gave Morocco the lead after 21 minutes, before Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior (25) equalized in the 32nd minute with a brilliant solo effort to make it 1–1, which would also be the final score.

However, Hummels’ main focus was on his former teammate Hakimi. On MagentaTV, he explained before kickoff, according to Spox: “He is a spectacular player, a full-back with a very attacking mindset. And he can even take free kicks, which I can’t explain given his shooting technique. But he gets them over the wall and into the net, which is crazy.”

Star at PSG – and for Morocco

Hakimi spent a total of two years on loan from Real Madrid with Dortmund. During that period, he made 73 appearances, scoring 12 goals and providing 17 assists. After a spell at Inter Milan, the Moroccan international eventually joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. At PSG, the now 27-year-old has continued to develop and is now regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world. He also proved that as Morocco’s captain in the World Cup clash with Brazil’s star-studded side.

Photo: Getty Images

Hummels is full of praise for the exceptional qualities of his former teammate: “By far his biggest attribute is his incredible speed. He is one of the fastest players I have ever seen. That is an absolute weapon.” The numbers also show just how effective that pace is. Last season, Hakimi contributed three goals and nine assists as Paris won the league title and the Champions League.

Morocco’s team will face not only Brazil in World Cup Group C, but also Scotland and Haiti. The latter two had already met in the parallel match, which the Scots narrowly won 1–0.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.