The year 2017 has rather been a good one for Borussia Dortmund so far, the black and yellows have somewhat managed to reinvigorate their poor season as Thomas Tuchel’s men are now safely placed in third whilst trailing second-placed Leipzig by just three. There’s been a massive turnaround in the confidence of the players and in this article, we will discuss the top three players, who stood up to the task in the Ruckrunde so far in 2017.
Marc Bartra – Center Back
One of the most replenished centre backs for Dortmund this year, Bartra’s excellence from the back has been a boon for Thomas Tuchel. Right from the start of 2017, the former Barcelona defender has been growing in confidence.
It wasn’t the case in the first half of the season, however, as the 26-year-old experienced some tough times to get used to German soil and style of football. Especially after Dortmund announced the signing of Leverkusen centre-back Omer Toprak from next season, Bartra has lived up to the expectation.
A much more calm and composed figure, he instigates Dortmund’s flow from the back, much like what Hummels used to do in his time at BVB. His laser passes as well as his aggression to press out the opposition before they get close has been one of the plus points for Tuchel so far in the second half of the season. The former Catalan defender has featured in five games this season, which may seem too early for a judgement, but then, the defence responded extremely well in all of those five games.
His attempted tackles total of 82 is a whopping number indeed but also shows his eagerness to get involved in the action. Bartra has also created eight chances in 15 games which is pretty good, considering Mats Hummels has managed the same at Bayern this season but needed seven more games to do so.
All in all, it has been a great year for Bartra so far, and if he can keep himself fit and his glaring form intact, he is sure to pose a substantial challenge for Omer Toprak next season.
Roman Burki – Goalkeeper
One of the main reasons for Dortmund’s much-improved defence in 2017 is the goalkeeper Roman Burki. The Swiss International has been on fire after coming back from a hand injury a few months ago. Not just in Bundesliga but the former Freiburg man deserves credit for showing up in all competitions for the Black and Yellows.
Burki has kept seven clean sheets this year in just 12 games but more importantly, has managed to save Dortmund’s blushes in vital moments. His average saves per goal ratio for the season is 2.75, that has grown due to his incredible performances in the second half of the season. The 26-year-old is also much more composed now with 94% claiming percentage while his distribution has been one of his big improvements this season.
He was deemed as the man of the match in the match against Ingolstadt last week as he made a host of key saves to preserve his clean sheet. He will look to keep his good form intact in the International matches as he’s set to represent the Swiss National Team in the upcoming international friendlies.
Ousmane Dembele – Winger
There’s been no doubt! Ousmane Dembele is surely the best teenage talent in the whole of Europe. A youth team player for Stade Rennais just over 18 months ago is now one of the most important players in one of the world’s biggest clubs. The French winger has been a solid asset ever since he arrived at Dortmund for a fee of just 15 million euros per Bild.
The young sensation was also one of the key players in the first half of the season, as he scored some important goals as well as providing numerous assists to his teammates. 19-year-old Dembele has scored seven goals and has already notched up as many as 16 assists all competitions.
If he manages to keep his form for the rest of the season, he might as well be one of the hottest prospects in the summer transfer window, even though he is not expected to leave Dortmund anytime soon.
