In our first season preview, we look at Borussia Dortmund’s chances in the upcoming season.
After a season, chock-full of mixed feelings, Borussia Dortmund are all set to embark on a new journey with Peter Bosz. Formerly a coach of Ajax, the 53-year-old will replace Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked despite two successful years at the Ruhrpott. Dortmund still remains the second best team in the league, but face stiff competition from TSG Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig next season, in maintaining that status.
Expectations: Second place and a silverware. Borussia Dortmund will be in for another transition period as the new coach will ask time to implement his tactics in the team. Therefore, fans shouldn’t expect anything more than a second place finish in the Bundesliga. On the other hand, BVB are on the back of DFB Pokal triumph, which might increase the level of expectations going into the season, especially in the cup competitions.
Key Players: Ousmane Dembele is most certainly going to be a vital part of Dortmund this season. The recent pre-season shambles showed as to how much do Dortmund rely on their stars like Dembéle and Aubameyang. He can change the dynamics of the game at any given moment. Scoring 11 goals and providing 18 assists, meant he was already Dortmund’s second top scorer and highest assist provider last season and that figure is only going to increase.
Another important cog in the midfield will be Julian Weigl. Weigl’s involvement in the midfield will be a key factor for Dortmund in every aspect of the game. His composed passing and distinctive positioning is a very important asset to Peter Bosz’s possession based tactical ideology.
Mario Götze and Marco Reus are also expected to play a vital role for Dortmund next season. Coach Peter Bosz recently cited his high expectations from Götze while Marco Reus is undoubtedly the club’s most valuable asset. He is currently injured and is not returning anytime soon. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will also look to chip in with the goals.
Player to look out for: New signing Dan-Axel Zagadou is definitely one to look out for next season. The young defender showed a lot of promise in the pre-season friendlies. His tall figure is highly intimidating for the opposition. It will be interesting to see how many first team opportunities he will receive under his belt. While Christian Pulisic could be the breakout star of the 2017-18 season. The American’s incredible talent is sure to terrify the opponents.
Strengths: Attacking potency is by far Dortmund’s biggest strength. The Ruhr giants were turned into one real attacking firehouse by Thomas Tuchel, scoring a mammoth 154 goals in the span of two seasons. The Black and Yellows have a substantial amount of offensive firepower, with gifted individuals like Shinji Kagawa, Mario Götze creating numerous chances for their team. Dortmund look significantly strong when playing square balls to the feet of the attacker.
Apart from the offensive stronghold, Peter Bosz will also have a host of young talents at his disposal. The former Ajax boss, who is never afraid to give youngsters a go, seems like a perfect match. Emre Mor, Felix Passlack, Ousmane Dembele, Christian Pulisic, Julian Weigl, Dan-Axel Zagadou are just a few names who could make a huge difference next season.
If not anything, they will always have the support of an incredible group of about 80,000 passionate Dortmund fans. The famous Südtribune, Europe’s largest standing terrace with a capacity of 25,000, is a feast to watch when in full flow.
Weaknesses: Speaking of weaknesses, Dortmund might have a series of problems to cope with next season. Firstly, the injury woes. Peter Bosz will start his managerial career at Dortmund without having the services of three most important players in the team in Julian Weigl, Marco Reus and Raphael Guerreiro. Club captain Marcel Schmelzer is also out for a couple of weeks. Secondly, the lack of understanding by the players in Bosz’s new tactical ideology is proving to be a big problem.
Defence, however, will be the most worrying thing for coach Peter Bosz. Since the Klopp era, die Borussen have been leaking in goals, mostly because of poor positioning or lack of communication. Dortmund fans will hope, that new signing Ömer Toprak can be the answer to their defensive shambles lately.
One player to deteriorate: Expect this to be Neven Subotic’s last season at Dortmund. The Serbian defender committed his future with BVB and wants to fight for a place in the team. However, unfortunately, it doesn’t look like as if he’s good enough for Dortmund in any way, at the moment. He should move somewhere else where he can find more game time.
End of season prediction:
Bundesliga: 3rd
DFB Pokal; Semis
UEFA Champions League: Round of 16
