Sebastien Haller netted a quick-fire hat-trick for Borussia Dortmund as he continues his return to football six months after a cancer diagnosis.
Back in the summer, Haller was signed from Dutch side Ajax as Erling Haaland’s replacement. However, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer just four weeks later.
Following a long layoff filled with surgeries and chemotherapy, Haller returned to training with Dortmund earlier in the month.
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This week, he made his long-awaited return to the pitch during a friendly match against Fortuna Dusseldorf. Dortmund ended up winning the match 5-1 thanks to goals from Felix Passlack, Karim Adeyemi, Nico Schlotterbeck and a brace from Donyell Malen.
On Friday afternoon, Dortmund were involved in another friendly as they took on Swiss side Basel.
Haller was subbed on in the 61st minute and went on to score a stunning seven-minute hat-trick between the 81st and 88th minute to seal a huge 6-0 win for the Bundesliga side.
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The 28-year-old striker is hoping to make his full debut for the club later this month when Dortmund take on Augsburg in the Bundesliga.
After making his return, Haller said to the club’s official website: “I’m doing well. It’s been a tough six months. I’m naturally very happy to be able to be here with the lads and train. For me, my return was simply a matter of time, hence why I always kept going.
“It’s the best feeling you can have (returning to the pitch). When you have this illness, you don’t know what your future looks like. I could only concentrate on the next day. I worked a lot so that I can now participate in everything.
“A lot of attention is being paid to how my body reacts to the training.”
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He continued: “My values are now being closely monitored. I will get involved in everything as long as I feel well, but we need to keep an eye on all the data.
“I’m looking forward to playing at the stadium and in front of the Yellow Wall (Dortmund’s fans). That’s the goal.”
Topics: Football, Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga
Marcus Chan