BVB Buzz
Fansided

Borussia Dortmund: 5 Biggest Matches in 2017

By John Harbeck

Jul 26, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; Detailed view of a MLS soccer ball on display during the MLS All Star Game joint press conference at the Fairmont San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-322832 ORIG FILE ID: 20160726_jel_sl8_018.jpg
Jul 26, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; Detailed view of a MLS soccer ball on display during the MLS All Star Game joint press conference at the Fairmont San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-322832 ORIG FILE ID: 20160726_jel_sl8_018.jpg /
facebooktwitterreddit

Borussia Dortmund is still mired in the winter break and while friendlies are fun, I want to look ahead to see what the most exciting fixtures remaining in this season might be.

1.)  Benfica home and away

This first one obviously comes with a caveat and that is if Borussia Dortmund continues in the competition then that would become the biggest match of the season.  The possibility is very real that BVB will at minimum move on past the round of 16 and the Benfica match, but for now it is the biggest match on the calendar.

With many different Benfica players rumored to be on the move this winter it remains to be seen what kind of squad they are able to toss out, but one thing is certain that the away match will be very difficult.  To this point in the Portuguese season, the giants have only dropped two points at home with six wins and one draw.  In the Champions League, at home Benfica compiled a 1-1-1 record but the loss came in the final matchday narrowly against Napoli 2-1.

More from BVB Buzz

The money and prestige of winning and continuing to advance in the Champions League easily means that this match has to take priority.

2.) Bayern Munich

Duh.

After Borussia Dortmund handled business against Bayern Munich at home 1-0 earlier in the season, the evil empire will be keen to return the favor.  While the Bundesliga is likely out of reach, the bragging rights from this match are always on the line and winning both league matches against Bayern Munich will be excellent.

To compound that, BVB hasn’t avoided a loss in a Bundesliga season against Bayern Munich since the 2012-13 season when the two clubs drew both matches and BVB hasn’t won both since 2011-12.

3.) Schalke

The Revierderby has admittedly lost some of its luster with Schalke struggling so mightily this season (11th HAHA).  Despite that fact, this derby is always a highlight of the BVB schedule and with both clubs still needing points to qualify for any spot in Europe, they will be keen to break the deadlock that the first match proved to be.

4.) RB Leipzig

The new kids on the block need to be taken down a peg.  Bayern Munich did their job and on February 4th it will be Borussia Dortmund’s turn.  The first match ended 1-0 to Leipzig and that just adds more spice to the pot.  If Leipzig can continue to build momentum, it appears as if Borussia Dortmund will need to struggle for their spot in the Bundesliga pecking order long term as well.

5.) Hertha Berlin DFB-Pokal

I know many don’t deem Cup matches to be very important, but I see every opportunity to lift a cup as a worthy task to set your mind to.  With a difficult round of 16 match against Hertha Berlin, the same caveat needs to be mentioned.  The further Borussia Dortmund are able to advance the further this spot could change.  If they reach a final against Bayern Munich, it would almost certainly move up to 2nd.

With plenty of lower division sides still in the competition, it will be important for Borussia Dortmund to continue their march toward lifting the club’s fourth DFB-Pokal trophy as the road will likely become easy in the next round.

Home/Borussia Dortmund News