The 2019/20 edition of the Bundesliga is almost upon us, with Borussia Dortmund keen on ending Bayern Munich’s winning cycle. The Black and Yellows finished second last season but have done an outstanding job of strengthening their squad over the summer. And with Bayern struggling to buy players in the market, Dortmund are strong contenders to win the title this season.
In this article, we will talk about three players who could be important in Dortmund’s chances of winning the Bundesliga in the upcoming campaign.
Marco Reus
Marco Reus has been recently voted as Germany’s player of the year and deservedly so. The German international was involved in 28 goals in 27 Bundesliga matches last season. He also mustered more minutes in the league than any of the past four seasons, which is a sign that he is finally coming back to his groove.
Tasked with the responsibility of leading the Dortmund side this season, Reus’ leadership qualities coupled with his seemingly telepathic combination with the likes of Jadon Sancho and Paco Alcacer will be key as Die Schwarzgelben look to compete with Bayern for the title.
It will also be interesting to see how the German links up with his international teammate Julian Brandt as well as former Gladbach star Thorgan Hazard. But one thing is for sure – a fit Reus will significantly boost Dortmund’s chances of winning the Bundesliga this season.
Paco Alcacer
While Sancho seemed like an obvious choice on this list, it’s actually Alcacer, whose performances will go a long way in depicting Dortmund’s fate this campaign. The board has put a lot of faith on the Spaniard as he is only recognised number nine in the current team.
That means the Black and Yellow could find it challenging to find the back of the net, should the ex-Barcelona star struggle to replicate his last season’s performances. He scored 18 goals in 26 league matches last season, but only eleven of those matches were starts. The 25-year-old struggled whenever he had to start a game and looked far more suited as a super sub.
Therefore, it will be interesting to see as to how Lucien Favre plans to utilise the Spaniard, who has already become a cult favourite at Dortmund.
Mats Hummels
Mats Hummels’ return to Dortmund has been a massive boost for the club. The ex-Bayern Munich superstar will add some much-needed solidity to the backline that lacked experience last season with three young centre-backs in Abdou Diallo, Manuel Akanji and Dan-Axel Zagadou.
Diallo has already left the club, and we expect Hummels to partner Akanji at the heart of Dortmund’s four-man backline. The German international’s experience, coupled with his composure and skill, could be useful not only for Akanji but also for Zagadou and the young Leonardo Balerdi. The Argentine has impressed in the pre-season and could make a potential breakthrough to senior football in this new season.
Either way, Hummels will be charged with the responsibility of leading the backline that conceded silly goals at the backend of last season, eventually costing Dortmund the title.
