More to Come from Me, Says Liverpool's Van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk. (AFP)
Virgil van Dijk. (AFP)
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More to Come from Me, Says Liverpool's Van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk. (AFP)
Virgil van Dijk. (AFP)

Liverpool center back Virgil van Dijk is happy with his return from a lengthy injury layoff but the Netherlands international said there is still room for improvement as he tries to rediscover his best form.

A serious knee injury sidelined Van Dijk for most of last season and this year's European Championship, from which the Netherlands were eliminated in the last-16 by the Czech Republic.

Liverpool's defensive linchpin Van Dijk has played in all of their Premier League games this season, with the Merseyside club sitting at the top of the table on 14 points after six matches.

"I think there's still loads to come," Van Dijk told the Liverpool website. "I feel good but there is always room for improvement and I feel like it's on the way.

"Anyone who knows about having a knee injury and being out for such a long time knows that it will take up to, even after you're back playing, another year maybe before you are fully, fully recovered.

"But everyone's body is different, everyone's knee is different, everyone's recovery is different... So far I'm very happy with the progress I've made and I'm not there yet."

Table toppers Liverpool, the only unbeaten team in the league, host second-placed Manchester City on Sunday.



Dortmund Holds on with 10 Men for 1st Away Win in Bundesliga

Borussia Dortmund's players celebrate with the fans after the German first division Bundesliga football match between VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund in Wolfsburg on December 22, 2024. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)
Borussia Dortmund's players celebrate with the fans after the German first division Bundesliga football match between VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund in Wolfsburg on December 22, 2024. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)
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Dortmund Holds on with 10 Men for 1st Away Win in Bundesliga

Borussia Dortmund's players celebrate with the fans after the German first division Bundesliga football match between VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund in Wolfsburg on December 22, 2024. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)
Borussia Dortmund's players celebrate with the fans after the German first division Bundesliga football match between VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund in Wolfsburg on December 22, 2024. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)

Borussia Dortmund held on after Pascal Groß’ sending off to beat Wolfsburg 3-1 for its first Bundesliga away win of the season on Sunday.

Donyell Malen got the visitors off the mark with a volley to a corner in the 25th, three minutes before Julian Brandt played in Maximilian Beier to score Dortmund’s second goal. Beier, who scored with the outside of his boot in off the left post, celebrated with a throwing-dart gesture, The Associated Press reported.

Beier returned the favor for Brandt to score Dortmund’s third two minutes after that.
Wolfsburg improved drastically after the break, when coach Ralph Hasenhüttl made two changes, including sending on Lukas Nmecha to face his brother Felix Nmecha, who was playing for Dortmund.
Denis Vavro pulled one back in the 58th, four minutes before Groß was sent off for a foul on Lukas Nmecha when the Wolfsburg forward was through on goal.
The home team pushed hard but Dortmund managed to hold on to ease the pressure on coach Nuri Sahin.
Dortmund climbed to sixth ahead of the league’s winter break.
Earlier, bottom club Bochum defeated relegation rival Heidenheim 2-0 for its first win of the season in the league. It was the visitors’ seventh straight Bundesliga defeat, the culmination of a busy schedule after clinching European qualification from its league debut last season and the offseason loss of star players like Jan-Niklas Beste, Tim Kleindienst and Eren Dinkci.