"Fabio is on fire!" – Dortmund star Silva earns praise after Villarreal cameo

Fabio Silva was praised by his teammates and coach Niko Kovač after making an impact off the bench in Borussia Dortmund's 3-2 win over Villarreal.

Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images

Coming on with 15 minutes left of Borussia Dortmund's Champions League opener against Villarreal on Tuesday, Fabio Silva made a big impact in a short space of time to help his side to a 3-2 win.

Five minutes after coming on, the Portuguese forward raced in behind the Villarreal defence and set up striking partner Serhou Guirassy for the 2-1 goal. He also came close to scoring himself.

After the game, the 24-year-old received praise for his performance from both his teammates and head coach Niko Kovač.

“Fabio is on fire. He brings great energy to the game. He was lively today, ran a lot, and threatened from his first touch on the ball. It’s fun playing with him. When he plays like this, he’s very, very dangerous,” said BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel on Prime.

Guirassy thanked Silva for the assist that led to the first of his two goals.

“I’m very happy with the result. It was a crazy game and once again a very special atmosphere. Of course, I’m very grateful to Fábio for his great assist," the Guinea international said.

Kovač is pleased to have the option of playing Guirassy and Silva together.

“You can see that we can play this system just as well as we can with one striker. We have flexibility and versatility,” he said.

“Fabio is doing really well. He’s blossoming, and that makes me happy.

“He works hard, creates lots of chances for the team. And, of course, he’s someone who can provide assists. That’s what we need.”