Borussia Dortmund: Season Preview and Objectives
By Alex Orillac
Bundesliga
It’s safe to say that the Bundesliga has become a one-team league in the past couple of seasons and there is nothing Dortmund can do about it. We are talking about the complete dominance of Bayern Munich over Germany. Trying to achieve the next best position should ideally be Dortmund’s objective.
Dortmund has almost become entitled to that second spot in recent years. However, last year saw a new player emerge into that picture–the young and deadly RB Leipzig. A heavy push for third place in the second half of the season by Hoffenheim nearly beat Dortmund to automatic UCL qualification; fighting for the Bundesliga title will be a very tough endeavour but it isn’t impossible.
RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim
RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim are the only two teams that can effectively battle Dortmund for that elusive second spot. Leipzig is a young and ambitious side which makes it interesting to see how they will manage themselves in what will only be their second season in Germany’s top tier of football. They have managed to reinforce themselves this transfer window without losing key players which only makes their challenge stronger.
Hoffenheim managed to pull off an amazing climb in the second half of the season almost achieving 3rd place over Dortmund. The club’s rise in the Bundesliga has come pretty quietly and they remain a threat to watch out for this season. Another that needs to be discussed is European competition (Europa League and Champions League); neither RB Leipzig nor Hoffenheim played on weekdays last season meaning their team’s fitness wasn’t affected. Both teams Dortmund has all the pieces to fight for a championship against Bayer but being realistic I highly doubt it will happen this year even though the future seems way brighter for us. It is imperative to establish ourselves as the second in command over any threats such as RB Leipzig and any other Bundesliga sides.
Influence of European competition
Another crucial factor that needs to be discussed is European competition (Europa League and Champions League); neither RB Leipzig nor Hoffenheim played on weekdays last season meaning their team’s fitness wasn’t affected as much. Both teams will have midweek fixtures this season which could hamper their performances in the Bundesliga if they don’t rotate enough
Dortmund has all the pieces to fight for the title against Bayern Munich. However, I highly doubt it will happen this year despite our long-term future looking brighter. We might not win the title but it is imperative to establish ourselves as the second-best team over any potential rivals.
Bundesliga Objective: 2nd Place
DFB Pokal
The DFB Pokal returned to Borussia Dortmund last season after 5 years. BVB kick-off their Pokal campaign against 1. FC Rielasingen-Arlen, from Germany’s sixth tier of football. This is the club’s first ever Pokal appearance and as such, Dortmund is expected to win the game with ease. The Black and Yellows have played 4 out of the last 5 seasons and another run for the championship is highly likely.
DFB Pokal Objective: Championship
Champions League
Dortmund has seen a fair amount of success in recent years when it comes to the Champions League. Dortmund had a record-breaking campaign last year, scoring an impressive 21 goals in the group stages and leading group F ahead of Real Madrid. Die Borussen made it all the way up to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by in-form Ligue 1 champions, AS Monaco.
Competition in the Champions League is only getting tougher with each passing year, but BVB has all the tools to be a success in the competition.