Borussia Dortmund: Squad Depth Analysis

Manuel Akanji

Akanji’s World Cup performances have made his critics bite their tongues. Signing Akanji was brilliant last January and his presence in the starting line-up is almost guaranteed. His powerful playing style and robustness on the ball have made him a fan-favorite and that is unlikely to change anytime soon.

Abdou Diallo

Diallo is another starter and his role will be to provide the same things that Akanji does, but with a little more finesse. While center-half partnerships are built on complementary styles, Akanji’s game is so complete that Diallo will benefit from working on his overall technique. The duo could become a solid partnership and their identical profiles shouldn’t hinder their performances on the pitch.

Omer Toprak

As a senior defender, Toprak will get his fair share of minutes as a starter. The Turk was one of the best defenders in Europe last season and the numbers prove as much. However, his form in the first-half was not optimal and work needs to be done in the consistency department on his behalf. He will be a solid third-choice defender and can command the back-line with ease when called upon.

Dan-Axel Zagadou

Zagadou’s profile is promising but reports of his misconduct haven’t been pleasant. After playing a vital role in the first few games under Peter Bosz last season, Zagadou failed to pin his spot as a starter and his lack of discipline played a big part in that chain of events. Competing for the LCB spot with Diallo should be the necessary catalyst to help this giant of a man to become a regular part of the starting XI.