Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund: Reborn
The famous ‘Yellow Wall’ erupting. All the fans jumping off their seats and screaming at the top of their voices. Flags hoisted high and waving furiously. Waves of yellow and black storming throughout the stadium. Riveting isn’t it? This was the picture inside the Signal Iduna Park on Saturday after their amazing win over Bayern Munich in ‘Der Klassiker’. Home to some of the most passionate supporters in world football. Borussia Dortmund are simply on fire at the moment.
They are sitting four points clear on top of the Bundesliga table, top of their Champions League group and still in contention for the DFB Pokal i.e the domestic cup. A Dortmund supporter could not ask for much more at this point in time. They’re making waves all over Europe right now. And they’re doing it in style. Let’s take a look at a few of their recipes for success.
Smart Transfers
Dortmund have conducted some really clever business in the summer transfer window. Initially pundits and fans alike were pessimistic about this season. The team lost big players like Ousmane Dembele, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Nuri Sahin and Andre Schürrle. Using those funds, they have brought in two absolutely vital players. Namely, Paco Alcacer from Barcelona on loan for €2 million with an option to buy and Axel Witsel from Tianjin Quanjian for €20 million. This was accompanied by the return of Jacob Bruun Larsen, the free transfer of Marwin Hitz and the loan signing of Achraf Hakimi from Real Madrid.
All these signings have significantly bolstered the side’s strength and squad depth.
Tactically Astute Manager
Thomas Tuchel in his tenure had really endeared himself to the club and also to the supporters. He was expected to continue as manager but he departed for PSG. Then along came Lucien Favre. The Swiss manager was previously in charge of OGC Nice in Ligue 1. His philosophies have worked wonders for Dortmund this season. There are no hints of ‘Gegenpressing’ anymore which was revolutionized by Jurgen Klopp during his tenure with BVB.
Defensively, Favre has instituted a much more contained line of defense which presses only situationally. The real pressure is piled on by the back line when the opposition build up enters the Dortmund half. He also encourages a quick transition from defense to attack by switching flanks or long balls when necessary.
In the midfield he uses the energy of Axel Witsel to press aggressively and break up play. The transition into attack when building up patiently is a lot more measured under Favre. There is no heavy dependence on pace.
In attack Favre implements a front 3 with Marco Reus as the most important catalyst. This is not surprising considering Reus is arguably the biggest star in the squad. Devastating one-twos, snap shots and dribbling sequences are all vital elements of Favre’s attacking strategy. The summer signings have worked like a charm and the managers substitutions have paid off massively more often than not.
No matter how good the manager is and how smart his strategies are, the players have to be sharp themselves to implement the coach’s game plan perfectly and get desirable results. Of course the vice versa also applies.
Players in Incredible Form
Nonetheless, the Borussia Dortmund players have stepped up to the plate. Each and every player in the roster has been playing out of his skin. Let us take a look at some players who have transformed ‘Die Schwarzgelben’ into this well oiled machine.
- Marco Reus- BVB’s very own Mr. Fantastic. An embodiment of quality, class and loyalty. He has been the club’s talisman for some time now. Although his career has been marred by plenty of injuries, he has returned stronger every time. And he seems better than ever this season. One of the main outlets in attack, the 29 year old has already notched 8 goals and 3 assists in his 11 games in the Bundesliga.
- Axel Witsel- The 29 year old Belgian may not have the best numbers in terms of direct goal contributions but he has been an incredible asset. Pivotal in breaking up attacks and making quick transitions from defense to attack, he is in fine form. He does also have the one goal and assist in 11 league games so far this season.
- Jadon Sancho- The 18 year old English phenomenon has been tearing it up since making the first team. He has been absolutely unplayable. With his silky dribbles, blistering speed and superb awareness he has bagged 4 goals and 6 assists already.
- Paco Alcacer- The Spaniard on loan from Barcelona has simply redefined the role of a super sub and that of a clinical striker. In just 6 league games for Dortmund he has scored 8 goals. And he came on as a sub in 4 of them. He is joint second on the top scorer’s chart in the Bundesliga. It doesn’t end there, the red hot striker is averaging a goal every 29.5 minutes and every 1.87 minutes. Staggering.
Big Things Ahead
All this is simply an indication of Dortmund’s incredible rise. But the numbers alone don’t do justice to the quality with which this team has been playing. All the Dortmund fans will be hoping that this is an indication of even bigger things to come. For now however, this team is out to create unforgettable moments and they can look forward to a tremendously promising season ahead.
Photo credit to Borussia Dortmund via Twitter
