Champions League: Five reasons why Borussia Dortmund will qualify for the next round

Dortmund have more strength in depth

Even if we mentioned some good players that are part of the team, it is impossible to not talk about other important players who can have a big role in the team. So far, Mario Götze hasn’t been given a chance to impress but undoubtedly could be a game changer in the Champions League. Players like Shinji Kagawa, Julian Weigl in the midfield, Achraf Hakimi, Raphael Guerreiro in the defensive zone and Marius Wolf and Maximilian Philipp can be used as vital rotation pieces.

With Dortmund competing in three competitions, every player will have a role to play this season and it will be up to Lucien Favre to make the most of the resources available to him.

Dortmund have a much easier group compared to last season

Last season, Borussia Dortmund were placed in the group of death alongside Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur. Peter Bosz’ men were unable match to the quality of the other two sides and could only pick up two points from their group.

This season, they have been given a much easier group and Lucien Favre’s men will feel confident about their chances of making it out of the group. Atletico Madrid, AS Monaco and Club Brugge are all good teams and will cause Dortmund plenty of problems. But its worth noting that both Atletico and Monaco were eliminated in the group stage last time out and both have made disappointing starts to their domestic campaigns. Borussia Dortmund have what it takes to secure their passage into the round of 16 as long as they are on their game and do not underestimate the opposition.

Lucien Favre’s tactics more suitable to the Champions League

Borussia Dortmund look like a completely different team compared to previous seasons. Under Lucien Favre, the club finally have some stability in defense and look dangerous on the counter attack. While Favre is still finding his feet at the Westfalenstadion, the early signs are very promising.

His tactics will play a very crucial role in Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League ambitions this season. Lucien Favre’s patient and conservative approach will give them more discipline and balance and allow them to hurt the opposition on the counter attack. His somewhat defensive strategy should work well against the big teams which like to have possession and attack in numbers.

As Atletico Madrid have shown over the years, having a defensive discipline is as important as attacking prowess in the Champions League. And if the Dortmund players can implement Lucien Favre’s style on the pitch, they should be able to secure a place in the round of 16 comfortably.